May it be
by Immortal Inheritance
Summary: While troubled by her past, Kahlen joins the fellowship in hopes of restoring peace to Middle Earth and maybe even herself. During the journey, she learns things about herself she never knew; and feelings she's never known. Unfortunately, time and luck are not on her side, for her fate rapidly approaches and not even Lord Elrond or Lady Galadriel can predict it's outcome.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Everyone! This is my first Lord of the Rings Fan fiction. Ideas are gladly welcomed for I am new to this. I only own my OCs, Kahlen and Moroch. Enjoy and Please review!**

Chapter 1

The moonlight shone through the trees as the waning moon and stars hung high in the sky, protecting all Middle Earth from darkness. Their pale lights cast a luminous glow over our forest, making the woods look as ancient as the land itself, but at the same time filled with youthful life. The grass is lush, much like moss that you would find in any other forest. It is pleasant for walking and soft to the touch. Our forest is different from any other, in the way of its seeming immortality as the towering trees reach for the sky, their arms spread, shading our land from evil eyes. We were one of the last refuges and safe havens for the elves.

A leaf slowly drifts onto the path, falling without making the slightest noise. This is unusual, for the leaves of Lothlorien are not shed from their branches like other trees. I pick it up and inspect it. It looks exactly like the brooch my people wear on our traveling cloaks. The leaf has three points, the middle point broader and longer than its companions on the each side. A pale green sliver runs from the stem through the middle of the dark forest green leaf ending at the tip of the middle's point. All and all, it is very beautiful and delicate. Even though I see leaves on the trees every day, their beauty never ceases to amaze me.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lothlorien fall," I mummer to myself. I turn my hand over and watch the leaf slowly make its way down to the ground again. I continue walking down the path to my destination. The moonlight shines upon path making it well-lit. All is quiet as I make my way down the stairs, the smooth stone cool against my bare feet. As I walk down, I wonder why she would call me. Galadriel is not one to summon elves thoughtlessly. I quickly come to another pair of stairs and look to my sides. Two statues, on the left and right of me, stand at the garden's entrance. My mother told me that they were the ones who guarded and protected it; their spirits gave life to all the vegetation. They were she-elves carved out of a special dark gray stone. They seem to fix their gazes on the garden while they hold bowl like dishes that host a small flame, a little light compared to the moon.

I walk down the stairs, hoping that I will not be considered late to her majesty. As I reach the bottom, I slowly scan the garden, trying to find her. Long trees with tangled limbs hang over an arch that leads to a different part of the garden. I know not to look there, for she will be in this part of the garden, as it is her special place. As I look around more, I notice flowering draped over a small bench, flowing unto the ground. While most flower petals close at night-time, ours stay open all the time. Even at night we can admire them in the moonlight. As I look towards her mirror, she becomes visible. She seems to have not noticed my presence, as her back is turned, facing the fountain. I slowly walk towards her sacred mirror, unsure of how to approach her. I try not to disturb the magic or water within. As she begins to turn around I quickly bow my head in respect.

"You asked for my presence my lady," I say still in a deep bow.

"I am afraid I will have to need more than your presence later on," she says, her voice soothing. I raise my head to look at her. She catches my puzzled look, and she gently smiles in understanding. Her long wavy blonde hair seems white in the moonlight, reaching to her hips. For as long as I can remember, it has always been that length. The long dress she is wearing seems whiter than the moonlight itself as it sways in the breeze. Deep blue eyes seem to penetrate my soul as she looks at me. It has been said that with her eyes, she can peer into your soul and mind, a very special gift given to her at birth. With her abilities she always judges everyone fairly. It is her eyes, over all, that make her so beautiful, rightfully giving her the title of the fairest of all elves. There was no elf whose beauty could be matched with Lady Galadriel's. Even the fair Evenstar could not be compared with Lady Galadriel, for she was a whole other kind of loveliness. It was if she was light itself.

"Something has happened," I say as I recall the earlier feeling of despair and terror that had hit me. "I know for even a darker shadow has fallen over Mirkwood," I say to her.

"The world is changing," she says quietly, as if to herself.

"How can you tell?" I ask her, still wondering about why she wanted to talk with me. She has never asked for me specifically, so I was quite confused when Haldir came to me and said that she requested my presence tonight. It was usually my father she requested if she wanted to speak with a member of my family. It is a very serious topic if she wants to talk with me, where no one could listen in. I began to feel just a bit frightened as her eyes bore into mine.

"I can feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, I can smell it in the air," she says solemnly as she glides around the fountain, to closer to where I am standing. The grave look and concern never leaves her eyes as she is speaking to me. Her eyes stare into mind, seeming to look into my soul and thoughts. Her gaze was so powerful, and I eventually have to look away.

"How can that be?" I whisper.

"Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it," she says solemnly. Her eyes never leave mine as I start to reply.

"The one ring," I say, just loud enough for her elven ears to catch.

"The evil you speak of is true. These lands grow darker as the days go on. The ring has heard its master's call, and it is only a matter of time before it is in the hands of its true master."

"But where is the ring?" I ask, moving closer to her. I glance around to look for any eavesdroppers. "I thought it was with that creature, Gollum." I recall the stories my mother told me of the horrid thing. Rumors have it that Sméagol was a hobbit before he found the ring. After he found it he went to live in a cave for five hundred years, and during that time, it poisoned his mind. He barely let the wretched thing out of his sight, for he was addicted to it and couldn't live without it.

"It did, but it abandoned Gollum and found a new owner, a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. Recently, he left the shire and gave the ring to Frodo Baggins, an innocent hobbit who knows nothing of its powers and darkness." Galadriel turns to the mirror and stares at her reflection, as if hoping the mirror will give her answers. She probably found most of her answers tonight. She turns grave as she speaks again. "The nine have left Mordor to track down the ring. Frodo Baggins rests in Rivendell." She pauses, "For now, he is safe."

She turns toward me again, this time with a determined look upon her face. Her eyes seem to grow brighter and stronger. This is the Galadriel we all know, the one who rules so justly by her husband's side. The wind blows again, tossing my hair into and around my face. Rivendell, while the ring rests there, is not safe. Sauron's eye is probably fixed upon it already, waiting for the next move. Surely Lord Elrond knew of this. "What can we do?"

She looks at me and smiles, "Lord Elrond is hosting a council to discuss the ring's fate. He summons elves, men, and dwarves from all of Middle Earth to attend this important meeting. Kahlen, I would like you to go and speak for Lothlorien." She says all of this with a smile on her face. I am not sure why, and it seems rather mysterious to me. I feel that she knows something that I don't. 'I must play my part in this' I think to myself. It is simple, the ring must be destroyed and if I can play a part in it, I will. I would do anything for my family, my friends, and my home. If Sauron's power is growing, then our forest and city will not be safe for long. The thought of Lothlorien destroyed made me feel horrible inside. My father served his country proudly, now it was time for me to do the same. 'Lady Galadriel has faith and hope in me, I will not let her down' I think.

"I will go."


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! I decided to replace the last second chapter with this one. Those who have already read this might hardly notice anything. But I decided to change the plot of my story a long time ago, so I thought I might change some things in this chapter to match up and make sense with the plot I have in mind.

Disclaimer- I don't own any of the original characters or plots. Please leave a review when you are done. Again, ideas are gladly welcomed.

"Welcome back to Imladris," Lord Elrond says as I dismount from Moroch.

The sun shines dimly through the trees as evening approaches. Everything seems to be the same as I left it the last time I was here. Everything about this place truly took my breath away. It felt so different here than in Lothlorien, though; In Lothlorien we are almost always hidden by the trees, but here in Imladris, it feels so open. But it is nothing I can complain about. The scent of flowers still mingles in the air along with the gentle sound of the waterfall in the background. The house of Elrond stands in the middle of it all, nicknamed "The last homely home" by the weary travelers that stopped there. Besides Lothlorien, Imladris has to be the most beautiful elven city in all of Middle Earth.

Lord Elrond still looks the same from six hundred years ago, when I came to Imladris with my father. Since they had important business to attend to, I spent my days wandering in the gardens. I marveled at their fullness and beauty. We had to leave a few days after we arrived, unfortunately. However, Lord Elrond was kind enough to let me pick one flower to take home with me as remembrance. I never forgot that kind, warm look he had in his eyes.

"It is nice to be back," I say as someone takes Moroch's reins and leads him away to the stables nearby.

Lord Elrond offers me his arm and I take it as he leads me up the stairs to his house. As we walk, I notice the flowers and plants that seem to drape over the side of the stairs like a curtain. There are many colors; each seeming more radiant than the last, but no other flower stood out more than the Alfirin flower, the flower I took home that day.

"I had hoped you would come back, just not at a time like this," Lord Elrond says gravely as we come to the grandest room in his house.

The house of Elrond is used for many purposes: meetings, banquets, a library, and The Hall of Fire. The Hall of Fire is named so because of the hearth that is always burning. In this special room, there is always a story telling told and singing in the late hours of the night. During the afternoons, it is tentatively quiet except for a group of elves chattering by the fire. Being sure not to disturb a couple of elves talking, we pass through the Hall of Fire without making a noise.

"I am afraid the ring and its evil is a threat to us all, and now, we of all races must join if we are to defeat it," I return to his comment as he opens a door to another room.

I step inside and look at the various paintings and tapestries hanging from the walls. They seem to add a roomier look to the place. This room is not as large as some of the other rooms, but it still has a large spacious feeling to it. There are many of windows, so once we enter the room, the sun begins to encase us in its light. As I look out the windows, I can tell from a distance that the sun is beginning to set.

"I trust Galadriel has told you everything," he says quietly.

Apparently, talk of the ring isn't a comfortable subject. He guides us to the balcony that faces the north. We can see all of Imladris from this spot. It is very peaceful with the sun setting to the left. The golden rays mix together with pink and purple sky, creating a beautiful sight that takes my breath away. Then, I remember why I am here and feel a sense of dread.

"Lord Elrond, is it true? Is the ring and our fate held in the hands of a hobbit?" I say with an incredulous hint to my voice.

Something so small, to carry a burden so big; it seems impossible. Gollum was once a hobbit, and look what the ring did to him. Hopefully this Frodo Baggins wouldn't follow in his footsteps. Even if he doesn't change into a creature like Gollum, can he destroy or give up the ring?

Elrond then interrupts my thoughts as he answers my question.

"Our fate has not been decided yet. The meeting you were are to attend concerns the fate of the ring, as well as ourselves. Only then will the future be clear," he says solemnly. The future…Elrond had the gift of foresight, just like lady Galadriel.

"I trust Lothlorien is doing well."

"The leaves have begun to fall. The trees sense a new danger upon the horizon," I say, turning to look at him. The leaves of Lothlorien never fell, unless the trees were in distress.

'I wonder what other things have happened after I left' I think to myself. If the trees of our realm, one of the most protected elven havens, were in distress, I could only image how the rest of Middle Earth was faring. Elrond walks us closer to the edge of the platform to where we could also see the river Bruinen as it snaked around the gorge. It was now getting darker, all the lamps were starting offer light in the dark areas of the city. It seemed so enchanting but sad at the same time. As I look in the distance, I see a group of elves crossing the bridge and leaving the beautiful city.

"That danger and threat is present here as well. My people are leaving, Kahlen. The time of the elves will soon be over, the last known safe haven of the elves empty, with no one to remember it." His eyes don't seem to hold any laughter at this point.

It all seemed unreal. Why would the elves leave Middle Earth? We could not easily lose hope. As I close my eyes, I think of the words Galadriel said to me before I left: Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.

"Enough of this serious talk, which is for the council; I trust you had a safe journey," Lord Elrond says as he turns away from the balcony and heads back inside. I follow him and answer.

"I took the shortest way here and rode by the Ford of Bruinen. Thanks to Moroch it was a four-day ride," I say with a slight smile. Moroch was a gift from my father when I had begun to learn to ride. Thanks to elven magic and her blessing, Galadriel gave Moroch an immortal life, just like any other elf. He is a dear creature with a heart as big as his body, which is very big.

"You are blessed with a swift horse," Elrond replies, though he doesn't seem into his words. I sense that he is plagued by another topic of thought, rather than our conversation. I do not ask him of it, though. The ring is something lying heavily on all our minds.

Arwen walks into the room. She has a smile on her face as she approaches her father.

"Father, Frodo is healing quite well. I think he may wake tomorrow," she says proudly.

"I must check on him. I trust you know your way around Rivendell?" Lord Elrond politely excuses himself before heading out the door.

Know my way around? I have dreamed about coming back here ever since I had left. Plus, Lord Elrond gave my father and me the tour of his city when we first came.

"Of course, one cannot so easily forget the beauty of your city." I reply curtly. He nods and heads out the door, leaving me with Arwen. She is still the beauty she is known for. When I was last here, I remember putting flowers in each other's hair, enjoying a spring day in the gardens. That was when we decided that we would be best friends, even after I left.

_"Gi suilon!" _I greet Arwen cheerfully." /_I greet you!/_

"_Gi nathlam hí_" Arwen says as she steps closer to hug me. /_You are welcome here./_

"It has been too long, _mellonamin_," I reply to her as I embrace her. _/my friend/_

"Come," she says as she leads me out of the door and into the hall, "I will show you your room. I am sure we will have a lot of catching up to do."

Lord Elrond gazes at the stars as he thinks about the recent events that have occurred. While he is wrapped up in his thoughts, his daughter comes in unnoticed for the moment. She watches her father with pride, no matter what he was strong even when the future seemed hopeless.

"You should be in bed," her father says softly, bringing her out of her thoughts. The truth was she couldn't sleep, knowing that Kahlen left the protection of Lothlorien to come to the council. Arwen had hoped that her friend's fate would not end like her father's.

Kahlen, like Aragorn, had a destiny to fulfill. Everyone now looked to her to fulfill what was thought to be her father's destiny. But Arwen cannot stand the thought of her friend being killed.

'Hopefully she would go back to Lothlorien after this meeting was over' she wishes silently.

"Father, will her father's fate become her own?" she asks, in hope that it wouldn't be true. Kahlen was a dear friend, and she would be devastated if anything happened to her.

"Now that she has left the protection of Lothlorien, anything can happen," Elrond murmurs with a shake of his head.

He finally turns toward his daughter. Arwen catches the faint lines under her father's eyes from lack of sleep. Healing Frodo has been very tedious for him, and now that Kahlen was out in the open, he probably couldn't even think of sleeping.

"I fear for her," he begins, "the enemy is so determined to make sure the prophecy of Estel is not fulfilled. Her father was the strongest elf I knew, and look at what happened!" he adds harshly.

"If Kahlen is to fulfill the foreseen prophecy told long ago in Lothlorien, she must be strong and ready for danger that is bound to find her, and she will be the one to fight it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Here is chapter three! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own any of the original characters or plots; only my OCs and their past.**

Chapter 3.

As I open my eyes, I see the sunlight pouring through the windows. The room is filled with gold making it an even more beautiful sight than before. Even though I am squinting as my eyes adjust, I am unable to close my eyes for it is too beautiful to miss.

I get out of bed and make my way to the closet. The warm tiles of the floor soothe my body as I stand in front of a window for a moment, basking in its enveloping heat. I open up the closet and decide to wear my maroon dress, which I think is a striking color for elves to wear casually. We elves prefer the softer colors than the hard, bold colors.

I am the only she elf attending the meeting. Why not stand out some more?

I pull a few strands of hair on each side of my head back. (A/N: Syrena's hairstyle from the Pirates of the Caribbean) and decide to walk onto the balcony and look over Imladris.

I watch as four figures come galloping into the clearing. I can see from the distance that they are indeed, elves. 'They must be here for the meeting,' I think to myself as I watch them gracefully dismount from their horses.

The elf in front of the group surveys the land as his fellow companions lead their horses to the stables. My gaze then turns back to the blonde elf, who decides to gaze upon the heavenly house of Elrond. I soon catch his eye as his gaze stops on me. Even from the distance, I can tell his eyes are a vivid blue as he seems to stare into my soul. I finally turn away from my balcony and head back into my room.

'Maybe I'll take a walk in the gardens before the meeting' I think as I walk out of the door.

The meeting would be taking place on the balcony that Lord Elrond and I stood on the day I arrived. I walk outside into the beautiful garden of Imladris where every flower you can imagine grows and blooms in this beautiful city. Each flower is more colorful than the last. There is something about a garden that makes me feel at peace and ease.

'I can lose myself in a place like this' I think as I bend down to smell a blooming rose. Luckily, Arwen knows that too. I don't know how long I had been in the garden so far, but as I stand back up I see Arwen coming toward me.

"The meeting will be in ten minutes!" she reminds me with a smile before whisking away dreamily.

I smile in turn and call at her retreating figure, "Thank you, Arwen."

I make my way to the balcony and as I come to the doors, I see Lord Elrond standing at the entrance, greeting those who enter. We exchange a smile as I go in and walk towards an empty seat.

Once I step out on the balcony, it seems all eyes are turned to me. Everyone stops talking amongst themselves to stare at me, and I feel uncomfortable. They looked surprised, and some even angry. An embarrassed blush threatens to rise to my cheeks, but I quench the feeling with years of experience. Maybe I should not have worn the maroon dress. I smile at the thought.

I quickly take a sit beside a few of my folk, and everyone gradually starts talking again. I turn my eyes to the head of the circle, where Elrohir and Elladan sit on either side of Elrond's chair. They sit silently and watch everyone as they wait for their father to start the meeting. I send quick glances around the room to see most of the seats are not yet filled; then again, we are here a few minutes early.

As I scan the area, I notice Aragorn is present for the meeting as well. I have not met him personally, but I have heard much about him. It's not hard to forget Isildur's heir and Arwen's love. She had confided with me personally about him. Though she did not say much in his favor, it was not hard to tell of her true feelings. The rest of the council soon arrives and take their seats. Out of the corner of eye, I see a brown cloak settle beside me. Instead of looking at him, I focus my gaze on Lord Elrond, who enters on the balcony and sits at the head of the circle of chairs. He takes a breath before he speaks.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate—this one doom."

He then gestures toward the pedestal in the middle. "Bring forth the ring, Frodo."

Frodo then slowly gets up, puts the ring on the pedestal and then returns to his seat near Gandalf the Grey. I am not surprised to see Gandalf here. Frodo seems relieved as he sits down. The rest of the council begins to stare at the, as if mesmerized by its presence. Suddenly, I start to hear whispers in my ears. They tempt me with enticing words and promises, and it takes all of my willpower not to jump up and snatch the ring from that pedestal. I cover my ears, but that does nothing. As I look around, I notice everyone else appears to hear them as well. A man then stands and addresses the council.

"In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark. But in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying: Your doom is at hand," he then starts to make his way toward the ring, "Isildur's Bane is found."

His hand then reaches out toward the ring, as if being pulled by the ring itself. I notice that Elrond and Gandalf exchange looks obviously worried that he is going to cause trouble. His fingers then begin to hover over the ring. "Isildur's Bane," he murmurs.

"Boromir," Elrond stands suddenly and shouts a warning.

The ring then begins to utter a harsh chant. Gandalf then stands and utters black speech that sends chills down my spine. The sky begins to grow black with each passing second. Thunder booms all throughout Rivendell as Gandalf speaks in the evil tongue, bringing darkness all around us. The council looks around, both in fear and confusion. I close my eyes and try to shut the terrible sound from my ears. Then the voice of the Ring begins to die away. Boromir returns to his seat, horrified, like the rest of the council. Elrond then rebukes Gandalf strongly, with a harsh tone that I wince at.

"Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!"

"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond," he begins; his voice is raspy from the force of the words and the language, "for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is all together evil." He says the last bit in Boromir's direction.

He gives him a last scathing glance and returns to his seat. Boromir, however, is unperturbed.

"It is a gift; a gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this ring?" He begins to pace.

He then looks up again and continues his speech. "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!"

The man was beginning to get on my nerves a bit. 'Either the ring had taken over him, or he is completely mad' I think to myself in annoyance. How dare he say by the blood of _his_ people, had not all the people of Middle Earth taken a stand against Mordor at some point in time? I look to my left just to see something other than his face, which grows more irritable by the second. I immediately turn back to face the front, because sitting to my left was the elf that had stared at me while I was at my balcony. I sigh in frustration, and hope the elf didn't see me turn to him out of the corner of his eye.

"You cannot wield it! None of us can." Aragorn says in a bored voice, interrupting Boromir. Boromir looks over at Aragorn, mad because he was interrupted. A flash of recognition flashes in his eyes. Does he know Aragorn?

Aragorn then finishes his statement, saying it directly at Boromir, "The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

"And what would a mere ranger know of this matter?" Boromir spits out. Aragorn is obviously taken aback, for a small frown appears on his face. The elf besides me suddenly leaps up to defend him.

"This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Boromir is stunned and seems at lost for words. He takes a step back before he answers, looking at Aragorn in disbelief.

"Aragorn? This…is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor," the elf adds in a firm voice.

"Havo dad, Legolas," Aragorn says, seeming tired of the conversation.

'Legolas!' I think in disbelief. I had no idea the elven prince of Mirkwood would also attend the meeting, though I had never given it thought before. I chastise myself inwardly for my stupidity. Of course the prince of Mirkwood would attend the meeting! It would be expected.

Well, this might get interesting.

Not listening to Aragorn, Legolas stands looking at Boromir, daring him to say anything further. Boromir then looks at Legolas. His distaste for Aragorn now seems to be directed at him. He sneers at Legolas before he returns to his seat.

"Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king," he spits bitterly.

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it," Gandalf finally says. Lord Elrond thinks for a moment before making his mind. He then stands and address the crowd.

"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed."

Boromir seems disappointed, and I smirk despite the situation. I knew Elrond would make the right choice. But the question now is how to would destroy the ring. The council begins to stir as a dwarf stands and picks up his axe.

"What are we waiting for," he asks gruffly. He approaches the pedestal, with his axe in hand. He raises his axe above his head and slams it down on the Ring. More whispers in the black tongue issue forth from the Ring. I gently close my eyes until it goes away. When I open my eyes, the Ring is intact, while shards of the axe lay all around it.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this." Elrond says this in such a calm manner.

Dead silence is the only response from the council. No one seems to dare to move or speak, in fear that they will then have to take the Ring. Everyone seems to look at the next person beside them, as if daring them to take it. I can tell that no one is going to volunteer. No one wants to journey into Mordor and potentially fall victim to the Ring. Unfortunately, Boromir is the one who breaks the silence, again.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is an evil there that does not sleep." He is almost whispering now. "And the great eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men you could do this. It is folly!" A fear laces his voice, though he does well in hiding it.

Finally fed up with his talk, I jump to my feet and disclaim, "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!"

Boromir seems taken back at my sudden outburst, as the rest of the council. Just as I though the dead silence would come back, the dwarf, Gimli, jumps to his feet and challenges me.

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!" I open my mouth to retort, but Boromir interrupts, again.

"And if we fail? What then!? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!" He says as he stands, starting to pace again. As I was am to respond to his outburst, someone else interrupts me.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" the dwarf exclaims indignantly, with emphasis on the word, "elf"

Now THAT gets my attention, as well as the rest of the elves. Chaos erupts as arguments explode amongst the council. As the elves begin to stand, Legolas holds his arms out, as if to hold us all back from joining the arguments; all I have to say is, too late. The elves obviously forgetting about peace and tranquility begin to shout from behind the Prince of Mirkwood. I don't join in, as I do not have anything to say.

As the arguments get worse, Gandalf himself becomes involved in the fight by fighting with Boromir; I tell Gandalf later that I was cheering for him. All of a sudden, we all hear a small voice, Frodo.

"I will take the ring to Mordor," Frodo says timidly. We all turn to look at him, astonished that someone so small could even think that. No one but a tiny hobbit would volunteer to take the Ring to Mordor. This truly is an act of courage.

"Though, I do not know the way," he says quietly. Gandalf then walks over to him and places his hands on his shoulders reassuringly.

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear."

"If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will," Aragorn says as he stands from his chair. He then walks over to Frodo and kneels before him, "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow," Legolas says with vigor as he goes to stand by the growing group.

"You have mine as well," I say as I walk over to join them. The people in the council mutter among themselves for a few moments. My elven ears catch a few phrases, all along the lines of, "She is a woman! She should not go." My eyes narrow in frustration, but I stand my ground.

Gandalf and Aragorn nod as I stand behind Frodo. I turn to my left and see Legolas look at me and smile. I blush and fix my gaze on Frodo. Frodo seems more relieved that more people have begun to volunteer to help him. The fact that they are among the greatest fighters in all of Middle Earth doesn't hurt.

I gently place my hand on his shoulder to give him comfort. He turns around and gives me a small smile. Just as I thought all was well, I heard something that filled me with dread. Gimli.

"And my axe!"

As he comes over to stand by us, Legolas and I exchange looks of dread. Going to Mordor is enough. Having to deal with a dwarf along the way as well; that is even worse. Thankfully, he stands by Legolas instead of me. Gimli then smirks behind his beard, probably happy that he ruined our lives. If that isn't enough, guess who else wanted to tag along?

"You carry the fate of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done," Boromir says as he stares at Frodo.

As he passes me, I stare at him pointedly as if to give him a warning. Well, we have two men, one wizard, one hobbit, and two elves, one of which is a female. This has to be all that would dare to join this fellowship.

"Heh," a voice cries out. A second later, a hobbit emerges from the bushes and stands by Frodo. "Mr. Frodo is not going anywhere without me," he exclaims as he crosses his arms over his chest in defiance. Lord Elrond chuckles.

"No indeed. It is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," he says, amused.

Just then, two more hobbits emerge from some pillars and run toward our still growing group.

"Wait! We're coming too!" Their excited voices lighten the dense mood that had settled upon us. You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!"

Elrond glares at two hobbits and quickly glances back to make sure no others are hiding or will pop out of nowhere. I half-expect another hobbit to jump from the roof before enthusiastically volunteering to be in the group, also. "

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest… thing," the other hobbit says, trying to find the right word that would fit.

"Well, that rules you out," the other says with playful nudge.

Lord Elrond looked over all of us, thinking deeply.

"Ten companions… so be it! You shall be the fellowship of the Ring!" Lord Elrond anounces to the council.

I smile as I think about what I am about to partake in. This truly is a moment in history. I can imagine our tale being told by newly kindled fires in newly built homes, with eager children listening intently like a fairy tale. Hopefully, the Ring will be destroyed, and that vision will be possible. Hopefully, the children born into the world will be rid of the evils that now plague our world, and will only know of them as myths...the impossible things. Hopefully, I will be able to take part in banishing those evils. Hopefully, I will live to see it through. My thoughts are soon interrupted by one of the hobbits.

"Great, now where are we going?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer—I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of its characters or plots; or Susan's dress from The Chronicles of Narnia.**

Chapter 4

I fold two dresses into my bag as a light breeze dances into the room, slightly ruffling my hair. Smiling, I look off from balcony, watching the birds happily chatting and singing in the branches. I whistle a little tune to them, and a second latter they all answer back with melodic voices. Before I put my Lorein cloak over my dress, I finger the brooch of it nervously. I know that I may not return from the quest alive, something that frightens me. As an immortal elf, I never had to worry about dying of sickness or old age. Now, I have to worry about dying on battle field.

I glance around the room to make sure I have everything packed, turning my gaze to the spread on my bed. My bow, quiver full of arrows, as well as my twin daggers sit there, itching to be used. I place the daggers on my belt and strap my bow and quiver on my back. I then walk over to the mirror to take one last look at my reflection. I have a bit of my hair pulled back, but other than that, my hair looks like it always does. For part of the journey to Mordor, I have decided to wear a dark green dress with slashed sleeves that show the underdress. The dress itself is smooth and flowing, perfect for traveling. I get into a wide stance and try to make myself look tough. It is only seconds before I start giggling at myself, probably from the nerves.

The fellowship is going to leave for Mordor today, and it seems that everyone is on edge, just from the thought of it; even I am. Even though there is a serious stake at hand, I am a little excited to be traveling on an important quest such as this. The fact that I am the only female also makes me proud. I will show them.

The journey will take many sunrises; Gandalf said it would take about forty days just to reach the Gap of Rohan. Hopefully time will move quickly. If I am traveling with both a dwarf and Boromir, things are bound to get frustrating. I do not dislike Boromir. I just do not trust him, especially since the council. He seemed so easily swayed by the ring's power. He also seems bent on wanting the ring to go to Gondor… Aragorn will have to keep his eye on him, as will I.

I take one last look around the room before I leave. The sunlight streams through the windows and the balcony, basking the room with light. If it were any other day, I might've smiled to myself and let that warmth transfer into me. However, today, I simply cannot.

I tear myself from the room and walk down the hallway. I stare at the multiple tapestries and painting that fill the walls; each one telling a different story. I hope this won't be the last time I walk these halls. When I walk down the stairs towards the waiting fellowship, Pippin sees me and waves. I wave back with a smile.

As I make my way over to them, I see Frodo appear as well. He seems to be in happy spirits, which is good to see. He looks at me and smiles, though there is weariness behind it. I stand next to Legolas as we prepare to leave. Lord Elrond then comes to bid us farewell. Behind him are a group of elves, including Arwen. She gives me a comforting look while Elrond speaks.

"The Ring-bearer is setting out on the quest of Mount Doom. On you who travel with him no oath or bond is laid, to go further than you will," he says, staring at each of us sternly. The leaves begin to flutter to the ground, as if excited about our journey that we are about to partake. One even falls in my hair, but before I can remove it, Aragorn quickly reaches out and picks it from my hair. I give him a smile then I return my attention to Lord Elrond as he speaks again. I do not miss the quick glimmer of pain on Arwen's face. So it is true. Arwen has fallen in love with a mortal. And she will see him die while she remains eternally young. My heart aches just to think of it.

"Farewell. Hold to your purpose. May the blessings of Elves and Men and all free folk go with you." Elrond finishes.

After his speech, he spreads out his arms, giving the sacred blessing of the elves. Aragorn, Legolas, and I bow our heads with our hands upon our hearts. We then look up to see Elrond smiling at us. I give him a mental farewell. Even if he will not hear me, he will know.

We begin to turn toward the exit of the beautiful city of Imladris. I see Aragorn, out of the corner of my eye, taking one last glance at Arwen before coming with us. Frodo is then called to the front with Gandalf to lead us into Mordor. Mordor. I get chills just thinking of the name. Hopefully the Valar will grant us a safe passage there and back.

As we begin to cross the bridge, I hear the patter of small feet to my right. As I look down, I see that it is Pippin who is now walking beside me.

"May I walk with the maiden whose beauty is far more beautiful than a field of the finest flowers in all of Middle Earth?" Pippin says this all in one breath while gesturing to all the flowers around us.

I try to hold in a laugh.

'He is so cute,' I think, amused.

He looks at me for an answer as we continue making our way out of the valley of Imladris.

"You may," I say with a smile.

'Pippin has to be the youngest hobbit out of the four' I think as he walks by my side. 'He seems to be quite eccentric'.

It almost seems to be that he is unable to talk without using demonstrations, facial expressions, or even some kind of small accent. Every conversation is interesting enough with his hands always moving or his ever-changing facial expressions. Though, he is very cheerful and pleasant to be around, so I do not mind his energy, even if I am a calmer sort of being. I have never been around the Halfling folk, but I hear them to be quiet pleasant, and indeed they are. I am suddenly brought out of my thoughts by Pippin, whom I didn't notice had begun to speak again.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Oh, I suppose I am just happy that I am walking with the most handsome hobbit in all of Middle Earth," I say jokingly. Unfortunately, he takes it seriously, a little too seriously. He puffs out his chest and walks a little straighter. Then, he starts to grin like a madman.

"Well, we Tooks have always been a handsome bunch; always attracting the ladies of all races with our impeccable charm." I just laugh and that makes him smile even more.

I look back one more time at the Elven city. Imladris itself seems to glow with its own radiance. From here it certainly is a heavenly sight. I think of all the comforts of easy life I am leaving behind, but I am inwardly starting to accept my future and the harsh conditions. I wonder when I will take my next bath.

After walking for nearly the whole day, Gandalf decides to make camp and settle down for the night. No body objects. We take refuge under two huge, lofty trees that seem to sprout out of the middle of nowhere; as if they grew just for us. The canopy of branches and leaves shield us from the last of the sun's rays. Luckily there is a river nearby for when we want to refill out canteens or freshen up.

Aragorn and Boromir go off to gather firewood in the nearby forest while Gandalf is on his blanket taking in the first day of traveling, smoking as usual. I shake my head as I watch; he puffs out rings of smoke while he stares at the hobbits, who are setting up their sleeping mats and unloading their packs. Finally, I get up and sit next to him on the blanket and watch the others with him.

"You know that smoking is bad for you, Gandalf," I scold him gently, in the only way a she-elf could a wizard. He looks at me with an amused expression.

"Most things in life are, dear," he chuckles as Aragorn and Boromir come back with some wood for our little fire.

They both stay out of each other's way and avoid each other's gaze. Just by the look on Aragorn's face. I know they had to be arguing, again. It seems that ever since the meeting, the tension between them was quite thick. The only thing that keeps Boromir in good spirits is teaching the hobbits how to handle a sword. Aragorn seems to keep to himself, occupying himself with his thoughts. Probably thinking of Arwen. How lucky she is to have known love, how unlucky that she loved somebody that could not share it forever.

After having our dinner, we all decide to sleep early. They all sleep side by side, occupying little space with their tiny bodies. Gimli decided to sleep near them and close to Gandalf. Aragorn volunteered to stand guard for half the night. Legolas would take the next shift, which would last for the rest of the night. Speaking of whom, since birds of a feather flock together, Legolas decides on sleeping across from me, which I don't have a problem with. We get along fairly well.

After Merry literally drags Pippin from my side, Legolas comes and filled the empty space. We discuss our counties and talk for a while over various topics. He seems like someone who I will definitely get along with.

I lie down on my mat and wait for sleep to take me into peace. The stars soon begin to show, shining in the sky alongside the moon. As I begin to name the constellations in my head, Legolas lies down as well, probably hoping to get some sleep before it's his shift. He then looks into the sky as well, his eyes roaming over all the stars and moon.

"Do you know all the constellations?" he asks me quietly, not wanting to disturb the others.

I only knew about half of them. My father had used to take me outside the city so we could see the night sky better. He would always point out the stars and tell me the legend or tale behind it. Those were some of the nights I missed the most with my father.

"Some," I reply, heaving a sigh. He does not respond for a while, and silence fills the night. Then I slowly find myself falling into a peaceful darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again! Heh, Pippin is starting to flirt with Kahlen. I had fun writing that part, especially this part in this chapter. Tell me if you want a love triangle with Kahlen. It doesn't even have to be Pippin, it can be any of the guys (please don't tell me you want Boromir) in any of the movies. PS I do use a quote from the Eragon movie, but since everyone hates that movie (the people who read the books), no one will care (first one to tell me which quote it is gets a cookie!) Here is another installment. Enjoy! As usual, review and leave me ideas.**

**disclaimer I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the Characters or plots *sadly* or the movie Eragon (thank goodness!)**

Chapter 5.

I am pulled out of my sleep quite rudely as someone gently shakes my shoulders. 'The nerve,' I think to myself, 'someone wakes me when I am sleeping so peacefully.' As I come to I hear the sound of moving feet and the clatter of pots and pans; everyone must be up. I slowly open my eyes to see which unfortunate soul woke me up. I half hoped it was Boromir, that way I could at least have a reason to hold a grudge against him. Instead I see Legolas crouched down beside me with his hand on my shoulder. As I try to close my eyes he shakes my shoulder again, this time a little rougher.

"Come on, I know your awake," he says with a teasing voice.

"No I'm not," I say as I open my eyes.

"We are having breakfast now," he says as he stands up. I gently sit up and see the camp. Gandalf—why am I not surprised—was smoking while talking to Aragorn, who seemed to be very serious at moment. Everyone else seems to be preparing or eating their breakfast. I get up and make my way over to the fire which had some sausages frying in a pan along with some tomatoes. I grab a plate and pick one sausage link with some of the tomatoes left in the pan. I decide to eat while I pack so as I walk back to my little area and I get a very cheerful hello from Pippin. I set my plate by my mat and begin to pack everything into my pack again.

A bit later we leave as the sun's rays begin to peak over the trees, basking us all in all of its light. The weather is fair enough, for it is neither hot nor cold. So far we are making good progress, according to Gandalf. The land we are traveling on is quite hilly, making it a little difficult for the pony Bill. By midday, we decide to stop and have some lunch before we take off again. The place we are resting on is a hill on an arm of an outstretched mountain. I sit with Frodo and watch as Boromir gives Merry and Pippin another sword lesson. Sam joins Frodo and me with a plateful of food, and then soon Legolas comes down to sit beside me.

"Do you know how to handle a sword," Legolas asks me asks me as we watch Merry spar with Boromir. Nearby Aragorn sits down to smoke his pipe, he also watches the fight taking place. Everything seems to be peaceful, for once.

"Yes, I just don't prefer too really," I say as I watch Pippin start to fight; he is a little clumsier than Merry. Boromir begins to count each move of his sword, trying to teach Pippin not to just swing it around. It helps, but not quite enough. Pippin stays frozen in place while swinging his sword around. 'To think I was like that' I think to myself.

"Move your feet," I yell to him. He seems to try to do what I said, but seems stuck to the ground. As Boromir takes a step back, Pippin moves to the side and starts to hit his sword with Boromir's. As Pippin spars with Boromir he moves around, dodging all attacks Boromir tries to throw at him. He starts to block Boromir lunges better and gets in a better form and position.

"Very good," Boromir says as he moves to Merry again. Pippin then looks in my direction and grins. He then puts his hand over his heart and holds it out to me, as if wanting me to take it. I quickly frown as both Frodo and Sam laugh heartily; even Legolas chuckled. I am pretty sure I heard Gandalf laughing behind me as well. This has to end, anytime soon, like, Now. 'Someone needed to tell that hobbit, that I am not interested' I think to myself. As if it could not get any worse, Gandalf pretty much announced it to everyone else.

"Looks like you have an admirer Kahlen," he says as he chuckles to himself as he smokes his pipe. I turn around and glare at him hard.

"Only my voice is gentle, old man," I say with a slight smile on my face.

"Yes," he starts to reply, "You are a bit sharp around the edges…."

"Gandalf!" I shout in disbelief.

Legolas then gets up and walks over to the edge of the cliff and looks in the sky. I then turn my gaze back on the sparing hobbits. Boromir begins to fight with Pippin once again. Thankfully, he once again takes my advice and almost does a little dance as he avoids Boromir's lunges. Unfortunately, Boromir accidently nicks Pippin's hand with his sword. Pippin drops his sword and cries out in pain. Boromir quickly tells Pippin he is sorry, but that is not enough for Pippin because then Pippin kicks Boromir in the shin. Then it is Boromir who cries out in pain.

"Get him!" Merry cries out to Pippin. Merry and Pippin then pull Boromir down in a mock battle. Aragorn and Boromir begin to laugh with the hobbits. After a while, Aragorn walks over to split up the fight, he gently lays a hand on both of their shoulders, trying to reason with them; too bad his plan back-fired as Merry and Pippin grab his legs out from under him, causing him to fall down as well. Sam noticing Legolas's interest in the sky looks over in the Southern direction as well.

"What is that," Sam says, noticing a small black shadow in the distance.

"Nothing, it's just a whiff of cloud," Gimli says, trying to reassure everyone as they stop at what they are doing. Even the fight stopped as Boromir stands to look at the sky.

"It's moving fast… against the wind."

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouts as the swarm comes even faster.

"Hide!" Aragorn shouts to us all. Aragorn begins to rush around, trying to get of all out of sight. Sam quickly trys to put out the fire with some of the leftover water and the rest of the fellowship grab and hide packs. Boromir pulls Bill behind a rock with a ledge on top. We all quickly grab our things and hide behide rock outcroppings and under bushes. Both Legolas and I hide together under a well concealed bush. We wait. A couple seconds latter, the bright sky goes black as the birds fly over head, cawing loudly. I could see the birds though the little spaces between the branches. They circle the hill and then turn and fly back southward.

We cautiously come out from behind the rocks and bushes and look around. It looked exactly like it did before they came, except for a couple feathers here and here. Everyone seems to be a little shaken from the incident, especially Gandalf.

"Spies of Saruman. The passage south is being watched. We must take the Pass of the Caradhras," Gandalf says as he looks at the mountain behind us in the distance.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone, back with a new chapter. As usual send me reviews and ideas. **

**Disclaimer- I don't own lord of the rings in any shape or form.**

Chapter 6.

I walk slowly on the white snow, my feet barely sinking in it—another advantage of being so light. Both Legolas and I walk together, neither of us making any tracks, much to the dislike of the dwarf—who had a difficult time trudging through the snow. The snow is truly a beautiful scene when the sun shines upon it. The fresh new snow glistens under the sunlight and makes the slope of the Caradhras seem like a sparkling jewel instead of a sleeping giant. But the fresh snow would not stay new and perfect for long; not with four hobbits, two men, and one wizard trampling and trudging through the snow.

We are making good progress; after Gandalf announced we would turn around and go over the Caradhras, I had my doubts that we would even make it to the fortress of the mountain before nightfall. Luckily, Gandalf knew of a shorter way to the mountain. As happy as I am that we are on the mountain, I am dreading on sleeping on it. I have never been anywhere except Rivendell and Lothlorien, so being surrounded by this snow is very new to me. I have seen it in pictures and from the distance; I just have never been so close or walked on it before.

"It's so beautiful," I say as I stop to admire the scenery before us. The white snow seems to clash with the great blue sky as the clouds pass silently overhead. It truly was a breath-taking sight; I wasn't the only one who thought so. Legolas stops with me and looks around as well, sighing as the clouds block the sun for a couple moments.

"This certainly is different from the forests of Mirkwood," he says as he looks up into the sky. It had to be; Mirkwood like Lothlorien is nothing really but forests and a grand city in the center. I myself have never been to the city of Mirkwood, but I am sure it had to be grand before the darkness came and casted a shadow over it.

As I am about to reply, I hear a grunt from behind me and a gentle rolling noise. I turn around to see what happened; everything seem to be in order except that Frodo is down by Aragorn instead of in front. 'He must have fallen' I think to myself. I watch as Aragorn walks over to Frodo and helps him to his feet. While Aragorn helps Frodo, he puts his hand on his chest, checking on the ring. While Frodo looks for the ring, Boromir walks a couple steps forward from his previous spot and bends down. As he comes back up, I see that he is holding the ring up by his chain and looks at it. Aragorn gently says Boromir's name in hopes of getting his attention, but he is dazed and for some reason, his face seems conflicted with sadness.

"It is a strange fate we should suffer so much fear and doubt… over so small a thing. Such a little thing," he says as he begins to reach out his hand to touch it.

"Boromir," Aragorn says sharply, "give the ring to Frodo. Boromir then looks up, awaken from his trance by the ring. His feet seem to be planted firmly on the ground, for he would not move at first. He then slowly walks down to Aragorn and Frodo, hesitant to give the ring to Frodo. He then holds out the ring for Frodo, who sharply takes it. Boromir then tousles Frodo's hair and turns to resume climbing. As I begin to turn around, I see out of the corner of my eye Aragorn removing his hand from his sword. Boromir could not be trusted with the ring.

Remember the nice weather I was talking about earlier, yeah well that's history now. A couple hours after the "incident", a blizzard started to form as we started to climb the high snow banks. It seemed that the more we traveled, the worse it got. We can't even tell if it is night time or morning. All of this weather and snow was starting to affect the hobbits that they couldn't walk. Boromir offered to carry Merry and Pippin for a bit since they were getting tired; that "bit" has lasted for a couple hours. Aragorn is now carrying both Frodo and Sam since the snow is now getting to deep for their tiny legs. Gimli grunts and grumbles – probably because no one offered to carry him – as he trudges through the snow. Gandalf drives his staff into the snow, trying to forge a way through the growing blizzard. As he guides us along a narrow ledge, the wind begins to whip and sting our faces.

"I suppose, nothing like this ever occurs in Mirkwood," I shout to Legolas as we walk over the snow together. He looks at me and laughs. He then slowly walks out ahead of the fellowship and Gandalf. His steps lightly as he moves with ease across the top of the snow. He stands on the edge of the ledge and stares into the blinding storm. As we follow Gandalf, I begin to hear something in the distance. I stop for a moment and listen; only thing I can hear at the moment is the howling winds and the others. But as I listen closer, my elf ears hear a voice rising over the wind.

"There is a fell voice on the air!" Legolas cries out to the fellowship.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf shouts. As Saruman voice continues to chant, I start to hear a loud tumbling noise come from the mountain. As time goes on, it get louder, until I realize what it is that is coming to greet us. With a loud echo, a horde of rock slabs and boulders fall from the ledge above us – it is quite clear now that Saruman is trying to bring down the mountain on us. We all shove ourselves flat against the cliff wall to avoid being crushed by the rocks. Aragorn then trys to reason with Gandalf, trying to get him to turn us back down the mountain.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!" Aragorn says, trying to shout over the storm.

"No!" Gandalf shouts. Gandalf – against all odds—steps on the ledge with determination and starts chanting a different command to the Caradhras. The old wizard's voice bellows into the air, attempting to calm the violent rage of the mountain. But his voice gets drown out by a more terrible cry in the maelstrom. As more time goes on, the snow gets colder, the wind sharper, and the storm suddenly gets more violent. It was obvious that Saruman had more control of this mountain than Gandalf. I then turn and look behind me at Boromir with Pippin and Merry in his arms. Their faces are white and pale from both the temperature and the snow. Their faces seem frozen, for Pippin could not even form a smile for me. All of this would kill them if they stay on the mountain. Suddenly lightning strikes the tip of the Caradhras; a deep rumble is sent throughout the mountain. Knowing what was going to come, Legolas and I both grab Gandalf and pull him under the ledge as the avalanche of snow falls on the rest of the fellowship. The snow buries us all completely.

I begin to slowly move under all the snow, not wanting it to cave in on me. I move my arms up and try to push them above the snow; I then slowly try to sit up. As my head pops out of the snow, I see the rest of the fellowship emerging from the snow. Legolas is the first one I see who is fully up and out of the snow. I try to move my legs a bit to loosen up the snow on them – it's not easy when your wearing a dress. As I get up – which took some help from Aragorn – I help Pippin and Merry escape the snowy prison and help them stand up. They look exhausted and they had a trouble standing for a bit. I bend down and wrap my arms around each of them, trying to give their little bodies some heat. Pippin, who is grateful, is too tired to comment or even smile.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!" Boromir shout to us all, trying to come up with a helpful solution. Unfortunately, it would take us too far to a certain someone.

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too far too Isengard," Aragorn replies.

"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the Mines of Moria." Gimli says to Gandalf. For a split second, a shadow of fear creeps in his eyes. 'If Gandalf is afraid of these mines, I wonder if we should to' I think to myself. If I recall correctly, Gimli said something about the mines when we were on that hill earlier today. Gandalf rejected his offer and I wonder now if he would do it again.

"Let the ring bearer decide," he says grimly, placing the fellowship in Frodo's hands right now. He seems to be unsure, for his eyes were searching Gandalf's, as if questioned why Gandalf himself would not want to go. Before Frodo can speak, Boromir does want he does best, interrupt.

"We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the hobbits!" Boromir shouts over the wind, trying to reason with him. Gandalf's – as well as everyone else's – eyes are trained on Frodo.

"We will go through the mines."

"So be it." Gandalf replies sadly. I breath a sign of relief and hug Merry and Pippin closer to me (this would be the only time I will hold Pippin close to me for various reasons). 'Hopefully, the mines are not as dangerous as the mountain' I think as we start to move again, this time, underground.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello Everyone, and HAPPY HOBBIT DAY! Today is Frodo and Bilbo Baggins birthday! Walk bare foot, have a party, eat six times today, do what ever you want to celebrate this wonderful day! To celebrate, i have posted another chapter! Everyone is enjoying the story, yes or no. Leave me with a review on what you think of the story. Sorry if the chapters are a bit short. I guess I don't want them to be so long that you won't read them. I think this is my longest chapter yet though. Anyway enjoy this chapter and leave me ideas. And have a wonderful Hobbit Day!**

**disclaimer I don't own Lord of the Rings in any way, shape or form. If I did I would be bragging to the world and letting everyone know it!**

Chapter 7

We all quietly walk down the slope of the mountain as we leave the blizzard behind us. As I look back at Boromir, I see that Pippin and Merry have fallen asleep in his arms. I then look at Aragorn who is lagging a bit; Frodo looks asleep, but Sam looks alert and tense. I then turn my gaze straight ahead of me. The snow barely caves in or is crushed as I walk besides Legolas. The wind does not sting our faces as it did in the blizzard and the snow seems less harsh and cold. Now that the terrible and foul chanting is not upon the air, it seems to be more peaceful; and tense. We are starting to get in much fairer weather that we can actually see what time of the day it is. The twilight sky is beginning to fade into a deep shade of blue that will eventually turn black. The moon is already visible against the sky.

As we walk for a couple more hours, we finally reach the bottom of the mountain. Gandalf stands under a tree and lights his pipe as the fellowship stops and rests. Pippin – who had now awaken – leaps from Boromir's arms, throws himself on the ground and releases a content sigh. 'Someone's happy to get off the mountain' I think to myself. Merry rolls his eyes as Boromir takes a step over his body to stand next to Gandalf. I shake my head as Gimli – who was lagging behind most of the time – finally reaches the fellowship and with many huffs and puffs sits down on the ground to rest. Unfortunately, he didn't see Pippin. I turn away as I hear Pippin shout at Gimli and walk toward Gandalf whose face is marked with weariness. Everyone quiets down as he begins to talk.

"We will rest for tonight. Tomorrow, we will try to go into Moria."

With relief I pick a spot under a tree and drop my stuff there. I sit against the tree and then for a second and close my eyes. As blackness conceals my vision, I hear the familiar sounds of the fellowship; the making of the make-shift beds, the clatter of Sam's pots and pans clinking together and Legolas's soft footsteps nearby. I open my eyes and look around; Boromir and Aragorn are gone, probably to get more firewood, Sam gathers his pots and pans and places them near what looks like a fresh dug up pit for the fire, Frodo sits by Gandalf and talk in hushed tones, and Gimli sits smoking his pipe while Legolas stands by Gandalf and looks into the forest. There is one missing from this scene, and I had an idea where he was gonna be in a second. As if on que, I see Pippin making his way toward me and he sits down at my side and watches the others with me.

"How are you feeling," I ask him. The color had now returned to his face and he looked like the same old Pippin now.

"Oh, better now. The weather on the mountain was dreadful and cold. I could not wait to get off it. Oh, and thank you for trying to keep me warm after the avalanche," he replies adding the last bit with a smile.

"Oh… think nothing of it," I say with a bit of a struggle in my wording. He had remembered. Boromir and Aragorn then return with the firewood for our campfire. As the sun officially went down we all have our dinner around the campfire. We all then tuck into our beds and try to rest up for the journey ahead of us.

Nothing is visible as we pass south through the gloomy shadow. Even my elf eyes were having a hard time peering into the fog. 'Who can see through this' I think as I try to look through the dark mist. But we all had to put our trust in Gandalf, for he was our leader and the only one who knew the way to Moria. Gandalf calls for Frodo as we start to climb over these large rocks that seem to have come from the middle of nowhere. With my perfect balance, I walk across the rocks and land gracefully on the ground next to Gimli, who seem to be in good spirits since we are going to visit his cousin. He just rolls his eyes as I begin to walk beside him. Gimli suddenly stops and gasps, "The walls… of Moria!"

I look into the fog and sure enough, I could see the aqueduct ruins next to the rocky walls. We all look and stare at the vast cliff face of the mines. 'So this is Moria. Doesn't look to bad' I think to myself. We have been traveling for a couple of hours now, so it is very nice to see those walls which we will soon enter. We then begin to change direction so that we could walk beside the walls. As we walk along I watch the lake with caution. It almost seemed like something was staring at me from beneath the water. I stare at the water and it suddenly moves beneath the surface. I shake my head, but keep an eye on the lake. Gimli then startles me when he begins to speak again.

"Dwarf doors and invisible when closed," he stated proudly as he knocks this axe multiple times against the rock, making a gentle clanking noise. We all move along the wall, searching for this so-called invisible door. Pippin begins to crane his neck up, as if he would see it up there. That comment however does not go unheard by Gandalf who soon replied.

"Yes Gimli, their own masters cannot find them, if their secrets are forgotten." Legolas – who is walking in front of me – turns to me and comments, much to the dislike of Gimli.

"Why does that not surprise me," he states flatly. I bite my bottom lip and try not to laugh. Is there no end between the bickering of us elves and dwarfs? Gimli growls beside me, but says nothing. He would probably find a better time to get even with him. As I look forward again, I see Gandalf begin to slow down. We begin to approach a rock that is set between two trees. He begins to run hand over the smooth cliff face. I stop and stand behind Pippin; all eyes are now on Gandalf. He brushes away some dirt that revels thin, spidery silver lines that are faint beneath his hand.

"It mirrors only starlight… and moonlight," he says as he turns from the rock to the sky. I follow his gaze and look into the sky. The clouds move away from the moon, revealing its pearly surface. The moon rays shine on the silver lines, making them glow brightly. As they begin to glow brighter they begin to outline a door that is formed of two columns beneath an arch. A single star is in the center.

"It reads 'The Doors of Durin – Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter," Gandalf says as he reads the dwarfish writings above the door.

"What do you suppose that means," Merry says confused. Even I have trouble at the moment deciphering the riddle.

"Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open," Gandalf says as he turns to Merry. He then turns toward the doors again and starts chanting, "Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen!" The doors remain shut after Gandalf's chant. Pippin's smile quickly turns to a frown as nothing happens.

"Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen," Gandalf says, chanting a different incantation. Nothing happens. As time goes on, Gimli even starts to frown a bit, along with the rest of the fellowship – including me.

"Nothings happening," Pippin says to Gandalf. Gandalf turns around and looks at Pippin, slightly annoyed at him for stating the obvious. Ditching the use of words, Gandalf then walks up to the doors and begins pushing them. As he pushes against the doors, they stay fast and don't even move an inch.

"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves…Men… and Orcs." He said in a tired voice.

"What are you going to do then," Pippin asks Gandalf in a small voice. Gandalf soon snaps back.

"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took! And if that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words." He yells at Pippin. He then turns back to the doors and thinks for a moment before he begins to chant for a bit again. We all then leave to give Gandalf some space; Gimli sits on a rock and begins to smoke, Boromir joins Aragorn, Merry and Pippin by the lake; Frodo sits on a rock near Gandalf; and Legolas and I stand near Gandalf and watch for any Orcs patrolling.

Aragorn then leaves his group and walks toward the pony bill; Sam quickly joins him. I watch out of the corner of my eye as they begin to unload all the supplies off him. 'Good' I think to myself. Bill would have a hard time adjusting and moving around in the mines. I can tell though Sam I having a hard time parting from the pony. I smile slightly. We elves and hobbits had a love for all things in nature, especially animals. After Aragorn pulls off the last of the packs, Bill then turns around and starts back home. A sudden splash brings me back to my senses. I look over and see Pippin and Merry throwing rocks into the lake. Aragorn quickly walks over and stops them. I then turn my gaze back to Gandalf.

"Oh it's useless" Gandalf says as he drops his staff and sits next to Frodo. A sudden movement pulls me away from the doors and Gandalf. I look out over the lake and see a ripple in the water. As time moves on the waves in the water grow bigger and more violent. Everyone except Gandalf and Frodo begin to watch the water.

"What is that," I ask softly to Legolas. He looks at me with the same confusion on his face. We both turn our gazes back to the water and watch; Aragorn is starting to move the hobbits back a bit. As the hobbits begin to move back a rumbling noise begins to echo around us. We turn our eyes toward the door and to our amazement, the doors were opening! We all then leave the lake and walk to the entrance and start heading into a dark room. The moonlight floods into the entrance giving a little light for all of us to see. Gandalf walks before us all and begins to place a crystal in his staff. I walk behind Legolas and Gimli as Gimli begins to speak to Legolas.

"Soon master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone. This, my friend is the home of my cousin, Balin." A soft light then slowly starts to fill the room, making the unseen visible.

"And they call it a mine! A mine!" Gimli says while laughing to himself.

"This is no mine, it's a tomb," Boromir says as the light begins to grow brighter. A sharp gasp escapes my lips as I look around. The crystal from Gandalf's staff reveals rotted and battered forms strewn about all over the floor and stairs. The forms start to cast long shadows across the room, giving it an eerie and haunted look. Bodies of dwarves and something else litter the floor. The other forms had to be goblins; no other would creep around in the shadows of a cave. Gimli was the one who took the scene the hardest. He ran over to a form and cried out.

"Oh! No! Nooooo!" Legolas then walks over to the dwarf Gimli is standing by. He pulls an arrow out from the decaying Dwarf, examines it for a second and then throws it away in disgust.

"Goblins!" he says to the others, alerting them. Aragorn and Boromir draw out their swords, ready for any enemy that might come. Both Legolas and I fit an arrow to our bows and await any orders.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here. Now get out of here, get out!" Boromir says to us. I start for the door – I was ready to get out of their – and I suddenly hear a cry outside. I notice the hobbits are not in the mine and I quickly run outside, ready to defend them. As quick as the blink of an eye, many tentacles come out of the water and head for the hobbits. They hit Pippin, Merry and Sam but one wraps around Frodo's leg and lifts him above the churning water. I run to the shore and release the arrow from my bow. It pierces the tentacle wrapping over Frodo's face. The others soon come out and begin to battle the beast. Legolas joins me and begins to shoot the tentacles.

Aragorn and Boromir run into the water and attack the beast with their swords. They slash the tentacles as the beast flings Frodo wildly in the air. I shoot the one wrapped around his leg in hopes of it dropping him, but no luck. As Frodo is flailed around the head of the beast emerges out of the water, his black eyes staring at Frodo. I start to panic as the monster starts to bring his mouth to the surface. The monster lowers Frodo then opens his mouth wide, his fangs visible even from the shore. As Frodo is being lowered to his doom, I shoot the thing in the mouth and at the same time Aragorn slices the tentacle holding Frodo. Frodo fall into Boromir's arms. Gandalf shouts for us to get back into the mines. Everyone begins to run toward the entrance.

"Legolas! Kahlen!" Boromir shouts as he runs to the mines with Frodo slinged over his back. I fit another arrow to my bow and aim for the eye, Legolas doing the same. We then release at the same time, our arrows piercing its right eye. The beast recoils with a thundering roar.

"Run," Aragorn shouts to us from the mine. Legolas gently grabs my arm and we run into the mine as the beast's tentacles begin to come after us. As we race into Moria, the sea creäture slams its tentacles into the rocks surrounding the entrance. Rocks drop and the roof of the passageway caves in, shutting the doors forever. I stare back at the once entrance as the last rays of moonlight disappear from the dark chamber. We all gasp and breathe heavily as we try to calm down, the sound echoing around us. Legolas still had his hand on my arm.

"We now have only one choice." Gandalf says to us all in a low voice. Light suddenly appears from the top of his staff. The soft light reveled all of our startled looks and frightened faces as he moved to the front of the group.

"We must now face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs, in the deep places of the world." Gandalf says as he begins to lead us up the stairwell. I take a step forward when I remember Legolas's hand still holding my arm. I turn around and look at him, his pale complexion standing out from the darkness. He stares at me then with a 'oh' he remembers and removes his hand and walks behind the others, leaving me standing. I quickly shake my head and hurry to catch up with the others.

"Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello again, up with another chapter! Thank you everyone who has reviewed, favored, or who has followed my story. Every one of you inspires me to write the best I can. It's because of all of you I have made it this far. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's hard to believe I have already posted chapter 8. Oh I use the song May it be in this chapter to. If any of you have never heard that song, listen to it! It is amazing and so beautiful!**

**Disclaimer – I don't own anything that has to do with Lord of the Rings or the amazing song May it be. **

Chapter 8

As we walk in the dark dread of Moria, no word is spoken nor noise made. Since the monster had surprised us with its sudden attack, it is probably in fear of alerting any more dangers or enemies. I could tell the battle with the sea creäture still had everyone shook up, especially Frodo. 'First we had to face the birds, then the blizzard, that horrid monster and now this. What else is going to go wrong' I think as I walk beside Aragorn who had taken up the rear in the group. Pippin especially is probably the quietest, since he annoyed Gandalf and alerted that beast of our presence along with Merry. It was a safe bet to say he wouldn't be causing anymore trouble along the way. After a while we enter what looks like a great cavern with thin veins running through the walls. As the light from Gandalf's staff hit them, they turned to a silver color. We walk in the silence and Gandalf stops for a moment and looks around. As we everyone else stops, Gandalf speaks to us, breaking the silence.

"The wealth in Moria was not in gold… or jewels… but mithril" he says as he then points his staff down in the pit. The light from the crystal reveals all the intricate, sliver veins that ran down into the depths below. I smile to myself as I see Pippin lean forward to get a better glimpse of what lied deep under. Merry then puts out his hand as I warning so he wouldn't lean too far. As the light fades we all continue on in the dark with a soft glow of light coming from Gandalf's staff.

"Bilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him," Gandalf says as we continue to walk on the rocky path. Gimli gasps and stops.

"Oh, that was a kingly gift."

"Yes," Gandalf continues while chuckling, "I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire."

We walk on after our history lesson with Gandalf, navigating through the ruins and rocks in the mine. I would often look at the designs in the rocks as we passed through them. There would sometimes be a random arch looming over the path we were walking on. Since it was a mine, there would be buckets or picks often left everywhere, as if waiting to be picked up and used again. Occasionally you would see a ladder or platform going into a deep chasm or a high niche. You could tell it was a beautiful and important place at one time, but now, it had a strange, chilled air about it. If this was supposed to be a civilized place, then why was it so dead. 'If this is supposed to be magnificent as Gimli boasts, then why is it in ruins' I think to myself. The corps in the entrance also did not make any sense. We walk for a couple more hours before Gandalf tells us that we can rest for the night.

Everyone begins to unpack their bags and fix their make shift beds. After getting unpacked, everyone gets comfortable and sits or lies down. We didn't want to risk starting a fire so we eat our dinner cold. Nobody seems to mind that cold food was filling their bellies and giving them strength. The hobbits are the first to nod off and soon the others start lying down under their covers and going to sleep. As I get ready to turn in, I notice Aragorn getting up and leaning against the wall, watching for any dangers among the shadows. I quickly and soundlessly get up and walk toward him. He doesn't notice me till I am standing by him. I see him fingering something around his neck – the evenstar.

"It's my turn for a shift," I tell him softly not wanting to awake the others. He looks at me and shakes his head.

"No," he begins but I cut him off.

"You have watched over us multiple times, along with Boromir. Let me do this tonight, besides, you need to catch up on your sleep," I say firmly not taking no for an answer. He looks at me for a minute and debates. I hear a soft sigh as he nods and gives me a slight smile. I watch as he goes over and lies down on his mat. I then stand where he was standing before and look out into the darkness. I take out my bow and fit an arrow on it, ready for anything that would come this way. 'If Goblins are in these mines, they would attack us first with arrows' I think as I look around the vast space of the cavern. Nothing, except the rising chests of the fellowship, moved in the darkness.

After a while, I start to hear movements and a muffed cry. I bend the string back a bit on my bow and take a step forward. I look at all the members of the fellowship, checking to see if they were okay. Everyone seems to be at peace and asleep, except one. I quickly walk over to Frodo and bend down. He shakes all over and cries, occasionally out into the darkness. I gently shake his shoulder and say his name. He continues to shake and tremble under my touch. I shake him harder and cry out his name louder. He turns still under my touch and slowly turns his head to look at me.

"Frodo, are you okay," I ask him quietly, not wanting to disturb the others in their sleep. He looks at me with sadness in his eyes. The tears still silently stream down his face.

"I have not been able to sleep… and if I do, I am plagued by nightmares," he says with a tormented expression on his face. In the dark I could see that his eyes are conflicted with pain. 'It's the ring' I think to myself sadly. One so little to carry such a burden…

"Do you think you can fall back asleep?" I ask him. He looks at me and shakes his head.

"If I sing, do you think that will help," I ask him softly. He looks at me again with uncertainty in his eyes. I can tell he would like for me to even though he is not saying so. After a minute, he agrees and nodes his head. I then move to the other side of him and sit down next to him. I gently place his head in my lap and stroke his curly hair. I listen to the sound of his deep breaths as I think of what to sing. I then chose a song my mother use to sing to me when I was little. I feel him relax under my touch as I begin to sing the first note of the song.

_ May it be an evening star_

_ Shines down upon you_

_ May it be when darkness falls_

_ Your heart will be true_

_ You walk a lonely road_

_ Oh! How far you are from home_

_ Mornie utulie_

_ Believe and you will find your way_

_ Mornie alantie_

_ A promise lies within you now_

_ May it be the shadow's call_

_ Will fly away_

_ May it be your journey on_

_ To light the day_

_ When the night is overcome_

_ You may rise to find the sun_

_ Mornie utulie_

_ Believe and you will find your way_

_ Mornie alantie_

_ A promise lies within you now_

_ A promise lies within you now_

I bend down and kiss Frodo on his forehead, being careful not to wake his little sleeping form. I gently lift his head from my lap and lay it on his blanket. I stroke his hair one last time before getting up and walking over to my post. I reaffix the arrow to my bow and stand watch again. I stand there for no latter than a couple minutes, when I hear something; and it's not Frodo. I peer into the darkness, looking for a goblin or an orc of some kind. I see neither. Instead, in the distance, I see a figure leaping from rock to rock; using his spidery legs and arms to keep himself going. I quickly bring my bow up and the arrow back to where the end is touching the corner of my mouth. He stops. He looks at me from the distance, as if waiting for me to shot him. Is pale eyes glow in the darkness, concealing the rest of his frail body. All I need to do is let go, but I can't. I eventually bring my bow down and stare at him. I have heard many sad stories of the creäture Gollum, but I have never actually thought of what it really did to him. I do now. I watch as he leaps from sight, into the darkness of the unknown, but staying close to the fellowship.

As I recover from seeing Gollum, I notice movement to my left. As I turn my head I see out of the corner of my eye Gandalf quickly shutting his eyes close. I stare at him for a couple of seconds; he does not move or give any sign that he is awake. A sudden guilt and sadness fills my heart. He had watched me debate against shooting Gollum or not. I probaby would never have that choice again. 'Did I make the right decision' I think to myself.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi again, up with another chapter. Thank you all who are following and reading this story. i never thought it could be this popular among you guys. This chapter I noticed is a bit shorter than my others. I hope you guys don't mind too much. It just came out that way when I finished typing had no school today so i thought i would post this a day early. Remember to leave a review when you are done. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer – I don't own lord of the rings in any way. I only own Kahlen and Moroch, who you will see more in the two towers and return of the king.**

Chapter 9

I move silently behind Gandalf as we continue to go deeper into Moria. The events of last night still lay heavy on my mind, for I can not think of anything else. What did Gandalf think of me, knowing that I failed to kill a threat to the fellowship and especially Frodo? Frodo; I wonder how he slept that night. He seems like he is in better spirits this morning than others, whether or not from my singing, I'll never know. I'm just happy that he is feeling better. As we pass under another arch, I am jerked out of my thoughts when someone calls my name. I look at Legolas, expecting him talking to me. He catches my eye and looks at Gandalf; I turn my gaze to Gandalf and sure enough he's looking at me.

"Kahlen, I need to ask you something," he says as he turns his gaze back to the road. Guilt, again, creeps into my heart as I begin to walk toward him. I move in the front of the group and begin walking next to Gandalf, waiting for him to speak.

"After we exit the mines, I am thinking of taking the road to Lothlorien. We could recover and compose ourselves there. The woods would also give us some protection. I know you wouldn't want the ring in your city, but, what do you think?"

"Haldir won't like it," I reply almost instantly. I have known him for the longest of time, so it is pretty easy to read him and know this every move. But on occasions, he could still surprise me with his actions and words. He's a dear friend too me and I don't know what I would do without him.

"Hmm," he says as he ponders into thought. I breathe a sigh inside my head. I had though Gandalf wanted to talk about the Gollum incident. Thankfully he didn't or maybe even forgot about it. I highly doubt the latter. But I do not like the idea of the ring coming into my county, my home. Enough evil was in Middle Earth and I do not want it coming right to my doorstep.

"So you let him go," Gandalf says suddenly causing me to slightly bow my head down. Gollum comes into my mind again, this time I see him as clear as day; his tiny body with his long gangly arms and legs leaping from rock to rock. His pale eyes searching in the dark for want he wants the most. He has the hands of a murder and a thief. But I still feel pity for him; thanks to the power of the ring, he would never be Sméagol again. He had faced the long torment and now bears the scars of Barad-dur

"He was the most pitiful creäture I have ever seen," I reply sadly. Gandalf remains quiet and the only sounds made are the shuffling of feet and small talk from the fellowship. As each minute goes by with no word from Gandalf, I start to feel more and more horrible inside. He probably didn't even trust me anymore. After the longest moment of silence, he then speaks to me.

"I believe Gollum has a part to play in this yet, whether or not for Frodo's benefit," he says grimly, not giving me any hint behind his words. He then looks at me and gives me a small smile. Relief runs throughout my body; Gandalf didn't think me as a traitor.

After our discussion, we continue until we reach a tall, steep staircase that would lead us closer to the exit and outside the world again. How I longed to be in the sunlight once again! How could the Dwarves stay down here in this hole and never see the light of day. 'I'll never understand the Dwarves' I think to myself. As I begin to climb the stairs I begin to, again, doubt the brains of the dwarves. How was it that dwarves with their short legs, could walk up this entire flight of stairs in one day? Gimli is having a bit of trouble, stopping after every tenth step to catch this breath. The hobbits have to crawl up the stairs for pity's sake. I hear a sliding noise and I look back to see Pippin slide on Merry. Merry hisses his name and gently pushes him back in front. After what seems like hours of walking – or climbing for the hobbits and maybe Gimli, we finally reach the top of the stairs. I watch Gandalf as he looks at the three doorways that loom before us. He glances at each of them, each time with confusion in his eyes till finally he says it.

"I have no memory of this place." I exhale deeply and frown a bit. 'Had we climbed all the stairs for nothing' I think as I lean against a rock while the others sit down. 'If we are going the wrong way, there is no way I am going down those steps again.' Aragorn and Boromir sit on the steps of the stairs, resting their legs for the next part of the journey. Aragorn is smoking as usual. The hobbits sit on the ground together, resting their muscles along with Gimli. I then hoist myself on the rock I am leaning on and rest as well. Soon Legolas joins me and we both sit in silence. He hasn't spoken to me since that incident after the attack, so things are a little awkward at first. After a couple of minutes he does speak.

"So you let him go too," he says not looking at me. I turn to him with confusion on my face. He stares out into the darkness, almost like he is watching something. He almost looks sad. I quickly turn my head left and sure enough, there was Gollum. He leaps from rock to rock and then jumps out of sight for the time being. Legolas continues.

"Aragorn brought Gollum to Mirkwood so we could hold him for a while. We put him in a cell underground the earth and he absolutely hated it. I pitied the poor creäture. So I would often let him roam in the trees on a quiet still night, making sure to get him back before any of the guards came back in the morning." He pauses for a moment and then continues, "But on one night, everything went wrong. He was too high in the trees than I liked and I could not get him down. Then there was a surprise attack, Orcs came and recued Gollum. They only injured some elves, but in the end, it was because of me." He says as he looks into the darkness, not looking at me or Gollum. I turrn away and stare at Gandalf. I think for a moment before gathering my words together.

"Gandalf feels that Gollum has a part to play in this. Maybe it is to help Frodo, maybe not. But if he is to help Frodo on this mission, he could not do it from a cell. So perhaps, maybe you were meant to let him go," I say encouragingly. He turns his head and looks at me. I then squeeze his hand a little and smile. He then smiles back as he looks into my eyes. Merry's voice brings me out of my daze and the fellowships starts getting up. I take my hand from his grasp and tuck a hair behind my ear as Aragorn and Boromir walk by. I then slid off the rock and walk over to the center doorway. After the advice from Gandalf about following our nose, we walk down the stairs, not knowing what lay at the bottom. The stairs are thankfully nowhere close as steep as the ones we had just climbed.

We come to the bottom of the stairs, and I can already tell it is a large room. The air feels more open and free in this space. Our footsteps make tiny echoes as we follow Gandalf deeper into this unknown room. Ruins of columns lie across the floor as we walk more and more.

"Let me risk a little more light," Gandalf mutters as he stops for a second and observes his surroundings. The crystal from his staff grows brighter and illuminates the hall in a white light. As everything grows brighter and more visible, a gasp leaves my lips. We are standing in a giant stone hall with pillars that stretched to the top and arched into the ceiling. hundreds of pillars stand in his massive room, giving it a grand look and feeling to it. Gimli's mouth hangs open as he looks at his cousin's kingdom.

"Behold: the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf."


	10. Chapter 10

**Here we go everybody! Chapter 10! This is where everything happens. This one is my longest chapter yet, so be ready. Future warnings, if I do a chapter with a battle in it, it's gonna be long. But enjoy this chapter, I tried my hardest to get everything right and sound decent. This is my very first time writing a battle scene. Oh, and if you guys want longer chapters, let me know. Please leave me a review when you are done. Oh and Happy Columbus Day. I had a long debate whether i wanted to post this today or later this week. Because it is a holiday, i posted it today. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer – I don't own Lord of the Rings in any way, shape, or form. I only own my OCs, Kahlen and Moroch.**

Chapter 10

We all walk slowly, taking in everything in this grand hallway. I smile to myself as the hobbits' mouths hang open as they look around. We walk after Gandalf in the hall, looking and peering around every wide column. Suddenly, Gimli gasps and takes off running to a doorway. Gandalf call for him, but he does not return or run back. We then follow him into what looks like another chamber. More bodies lay around the room, their weapons scattered everywhere. 'Death is present here' I think as I look at all the corpses, wishing I am somewhere else but here. Gimli kneels in front a large piece of stone with Dwarfish writing on it in the center of the room; a beam of light shines on the crypt from a small window above it. Gimli wails are so load they can be probably be heard from outside the room. Boromir then places a hand on his shoulder for comfort. Gandalf reads the writing on the stone to us all.

"Here lays Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria. He is dead then. It is as I feared," Gandalf says as he removes his hat in respect for the dead. Gimli bows this head and his helmet makes a dull clack against the stone. Gandalf then notices a book in the hands of a dead dwarf. He gives his hat and staff to Pippin, trusting him at the moment not to do anything stupid. As he pulls the book from the Dwarf's grasp, dust falls out of the pages and a page almost falls out. From the distance I can tell the book is large, battered and old. He opens it and wipes the dirt from the page. Legolas comes up besides Aragorn and me, often glancing around the room.

"We must move on, we cannot linger," he says with wariness in his voice.

"They have taken the bridge…and the second hall," Gandalf begins to read. Everyone is quiet to daring to interrupt Gandalf. Gimli stops crying and looks at Gandalf with a blank face as he turns the page and continues reading.

"We have barred the gates…but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums…drums…in the deep." The more Gandalf reads, the more I am on edge. I can almost picture the scene in my head; the dwarves with their axes huddled at the gates, ready for them to come barging in. While this happens, a lone dwarf sits near his leader's tomb, writing the events as they happen; until he could not write any more. As I look around, I see everyone glancing around the room uncomfortably.

"We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark." He then stops reading and stares at the page. He then slowly looks up at us all, making the silence around us uncomfortable and unbearable at the moment. What he says next makes a shiver run down my spine, chilling my body in the already cold conditions.

"They are coming." A loud booming noise comes from behind Gandalf. I pretty much jump out of my skin as the noise drones on and on. I turn and see Pippin by a well with an old bucket and a pile of rusty chains; well they are not there for long. It is then dragged down by the skeleton that previously occupied the spot and makes load crashing noises all the way down the well. It crashes and clangs into each hall below and does not hesitant to hold back on the noise. I wince at every wave of sound, wishing that it would just stop. As each second passes, it fades and fades until it seems nothing more than a whisper. Then, everything is abruptly silent. Everyone holds their breath, waiting for any noise of the enemy. Hours seem to go by as we all stand there, not daring to move. Nothing happens, and we all sigh in relief of not being heard. The blood seems to disappear out of my body as I try to calm my racing heart. Gandalf is not pleased.

"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Gandalf snaps as he snatches his hat and staff from Pippin's arms and turns away from the hobbit. Pippin then stands still, embracing the awkwardness as his punishment. Then as quiet as a breath, a drum is heard. Gandalf slowly turns and looks down the well along with Pippin. The drums get louder, sending a booming noise throughout the mine. Shrikes are heard down the hallway. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Frodo's blade sting glow blue.

"Orcs," Legolas shouts to us all. Boromir runs to the door and takes a look outside. No sooner does he do that, arrows hit the door near his face. Boromir then begins to pull the great doors shut. Aragorn drops his torch and runs to help Boromir. Together they close the massive doors.

"They have a cave troll," Boromir says in sarcastic relief. Legolas then begins to throw weapons to them and they begin to make a blockade in front of the door, hoping to stop the invasion for a little while. We all then step back and draw our weapons, preparing for battle. As I fit an arrow to my bow, I can't help but think of the book Gandalf read. '_We have barred the gates…but cannot hold them for long.'_ The hobbits then take out their short-swords and brace themselves behind Gandalf. Gimli, with a grunt, leaps on Balin's tomb and whips out his axe.

"Argh! Let them come! There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" Gimli shouts as the Orcs begin to break and shake the doors down. They begin to slam their weapons into the door, causing it to create splintering spaces. Perfect for arrows. Aragorn, Legolas and I all stand poise before the fellowship with our bowstrings drawn back. Soon a nice hole is made by one of the Orcs and I let my first arrow fly. It pierces him and with a shriek he is one less enemy to face. Aragorn and Legolas then shoot their arrow, quickly setting and releasing once more. Then finally the foul beasts break down the door and rush toward us. _'They are coming.'_

I let another arrow soar into the neck of an armored Orc and fire others as more and more come. Legolas and I pair up and shoot together from the side of the room. An orc runs to me with its sword raised above his head, ready to strike. But I am faster as I turn and shoot him in the head, stopping him in his tracks. A loud noise makes me stop and pause. I look at the door and see to my horror the cave troll Boromir told us so gleefully about. It crashes through the door and stumbles inside, lead by a group of Orcs by a thick chain around its neck. Legolas shoots the troll in his shoulder, hoping to weaken it. It clasps its wound and takes a step back. It notices Sam and raises its mace and swings it at the frozen hobbit. Sam – as he finally comes to his senses – dives under its legs and crawls away to a corner, hoping to get away from the creäture. As the troll turns around I notice Aragorn and Boromir yanking its chains, dragging the troll away from Sam. It turns around, lifts its hand and sends Boromir flying into the wall. I then shoot my arrow into its chest, hoping to drag its attention from them to me. Unfortunately, it works a little to well.

The troll then advances on me in an instant, causing me to become for the first time, nervous. As it starts toward me, I reach back to fit another arrow to my bow to slow it down. Only, I reach back for nothing but air, I have no arrows. 'How could I have used them all already' I think to myself starting to panic. As I back up some more, I trio over a fallen Orc and crash unto the ground. As I look up I barely have time to move before the mace slams into the place I was before. As I get up I find myself back up against a wall; I'm trapped. I watch as the troll swings the mace at me… and is stopped… by an arrow. It takes a second for me to see the arrow lodged in its neck. The troll then turns around and advances to the left, going after its new target. I turn my head and make eye contact with him, thanking him for saving me. Legolas merely nodes his head before he turns and deals with the cave troll.

I focus on the battle before me; then take my twin daggers out of their sheaths from my belt and get back in the fight. I slash all the Orcs that come my way and stab the ones the come up behind me. I am making sure to keep a very close eye on the cave troll if it wants to make me its target again. As I spin and slash of all the enemies before me, I find myself fighting beside Boromir. As we continue slaying our enemies, I hear a noise that makes my blood run cold. I look over and the first thing I see is the cave troll standing over a tiny body. I look past it and see Frodo, struggling to stand with a spear in his side. Everything else seems to happen in slow motion as Frodo then falls forward, lying motionless. With their battle cries, Merry and Pippin leap on the troll's back and stab it repeatedly with their swords. The beast roars and reaches from behind and pulls Merry off of him. Legolas takes aim and shoots it in the mouth as it roars again when Pippin stabs it one last time. It staggers backward a couple of times, before it finally falls on the floor and does not move again. Everything is silent. I then run over to Frodo, whom Aragorn is crawling over to at this moment. Sam is already beside Frodo, crying. I reach Frodo the same time Aragorn does; I kneel and gently touch Frodo's head.

"Oh no," Aragorn says as he rolls Frodo over. Frodo suddenly groans and breathes again in gasps.

"He's alive," Sam says with relief as Frodo sits up. Frodo looks around the fellowship with reassurance in his eyes.

"I'm all right, I'm not hurt."

"You should be dead! That spear would have skewered a wild boar," Aragorn says with disbelief in his voice. Gandalf walks closer to the scene.

"I think there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye," Gandalf says with mischief in his eyes. Frodo looks down and then unbuttons his shirt. As he opens his shirt a shirt of rings becomes visible and shines in the dim light.

"Mithril!" Gimli says in disbelief, "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins." A shrill scream is heard in the distance. 'More Orcs are coming' I think as we all look to Gandalf.

"To the Bridge of Kazad-dum" We all race out of the chamber and follow Gandalf, leaving the dead behind. As we run into the room full of pillars, shrieks and shouts are heard from all over the room. Even with the little light from Gandalf's staff, I can see all the Orcs coming from the cracks in the foundation. I look up and see Orcs crawling like spiders coming down from the pillars; when they hit the floor, they to pursue us. They come at all sides and eventually surround us. We all form a circle as they draw closer. The Orcs sneer and growl at us as we draw our weapons. Gimli lets out a yell, obviously challenging the enemy. It becomes a standstill as neither side dares to make the first move. Suddenly a fiery light appears at the end of the hallway; both the fellowship and Orcs alike become aware of this. A deep growl then sends the Orcs running back where they came from. Gimli laughs, thinking he has scared off the Orcs all by himself. They flee in all directions and eventually out of sight. We all turn to the growing light at the end of the long corridor.

"What is this new devilry," Boromir asks as all goes silent. Another deep growl is heard again, its rumble sending a cold shiver up my spine. Gandalf closes his eyes and concentrates, the rest of us stare at the light that is still growing. Gandalf then opens his eyes, both filled with dread.

"A Balrog – a demon of the ancient world." Out of the corner of my eyes, I can see a bit of fear creep into Legolas's eyes.

"This foe is beyond any of you…Run!" Gandalf says as we all turn around and start running across the vast room. We all then file into a small door way as Aragorn and Gandalf shepherd us in. We enter a passage way and begin to run down a massive flight of stairs (again), running with all haste. As we run down we meet another problem, a large gap missing from the stairs. Legolas jumps it with ease and turns toward us. Another rumble is heard as the foundations begin to shake and break off, causing rocks to fall into the depths of the mine.

"Gandalf," Legolas beckons with hand. Gandalf gathers himself and leaps after him, making it safely across. Arrows then begin to rain down on us, causing us to move backward. Aragorn and Legolas draw their bows and return fire with their own arrows. 'Why did I have to run out of arrows' I think as I watch them shoot. Legolas's arrow pierces one in the head and it falls into the chasm below. Taking this as an opportunity, Boromir takes action. Boromir the gathers Merry and Pippin in his arms and prepares himself. He jumps and is helped by Gandalf as he lands on the ledge. More arrows land at our feet and Aragorn takes Sam in his arms and throws him to Boromir. Aragorn then starts to reach for Gimli to throw him across as well. The only thing that is bigger than the stairs we have climbed is Gimli's pride.

"Nobody tosses a Dwarf," he says as he holds up his hand. He leaps across and nearly falls back into the chasm. Luckily, Legolas grabs Gimli by the beard and saves him from his death. Not that Gimli cares.

"Not the beard!" He cries as Legolas helps him up. Aragorn then gestures for me to go next. As I am about to jump, more arrows whiz by and I finally have just about had it. I turn around and reach behind Aragorn and steal an arrow from his quiver. I pull back on the string and watch with satisfaction, the arrow fly into the neck of an Orc. The stones beneath our feet begin to crumble and fall into the dark abyss. Aragorn pushes both Frodo and I to safety and stare at the now even wider gap that separated us from the others. More structures and rocks around the mine begin to fall as the Balrog approaches closer to us. A large piece of stone from the ceiling crashes behind us and creates another gap. There literally was no turning back now. The stair well then begins to wobble around, unsteady from lack of support.

"Hang on. Lean forward," Aragorn says as the structure begins to lean-to the side. We all shift are weight in hope of changing the direction. As we lean forward, the structure begins to fall forward. Both Boromir and Legolas spread their arms out, ready to catch us. The stairs then crash into the other set of stairs, causing us to be thrown forward. Legolas's arm wraps around me and sets me on the stairs, and before I know it, we are off running again. As we run around a column, fire begins to whirl and fill the hallway behind us. Gandalf usher us forward.

"Over the bridge! Fly!" We all flee from the hallway, but I notice Gandalf just standing there and staring into the fire. I stop and stare at him, 'What is he doing' I think to myself. Aragorn then grabs my arm and pulls me into a run as we continue running to the bridge. I run across the bridge as the ground vibrates underneath us with loud thuds. The room suddenly becomes sweltering hot as I cross the bridge and look back. Gandalf stands alone on the bridge, facing the Balrog. I feel the color from the face leave me as I see the demon approach Gandalf. It appeared to be made of both shadow and flame. Big ash-black horns curled around its bull like head as its blazing white fire eyes watched Gandalf. The Balrog spreads out its black torn wings, making it grow. Gandalf still stands his ground as the beast takes out its flaming sword.

"You cannot pass," Gandalf shouts at the beast.

"Gandalf!" I hear Frodo cry.

"I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor… Dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Udun!" The Balrog brings down his sword on Gandalf, who blocks it with his sword, which had now begun to glow white. The Balrogs's sword shatters and the bright embers of Gandalf's sword run around the wizard. Frodo gasps as the Balrog roars at Gandalf, obviously angry. My heart beat quickens as the scene before me.

"Go back to the shadow," Gandalf says as he clenches his teeth. The Balrog then makes the mistake of stepping on the bridge. Its cloven black foot slams on the narrow bridge, making the bridge strain under its weight. It then forms a whip out of midair and snaps it. Gandalf shows no fear as he makes one last effort to stop the Balrog.

"You – shall not – pass!" he shouts at the beast. He then slams down his staff on the bridge, causing it to flash a bright blue light. After a second, the Balrog flares its nostrils and steps forward again on the bridge. The bridge collapses right from under its feet and with a roar plunges into the unknown. The beast is sent tumbling below, still wielding its flame whip. Gandalf sighs and begins to turn to get off the bridge. A snap is heard from below and the next thing I know, Gandalf is dragged on the edge of the bridge. Frodo rushes forward and cries out Gandalf's name, but Boromir holds him back. Gandalf grasps the bridge with all of his strength, trying to pull himself on the bridge. After a couple of seconds, he finally stops struggling. He looks it Frodo's eyes.

"Fly you fools." Gandalf then lets go and falls into darkness with the Balrog.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! Finally got past that last chapter, I'm so happy. What do you think, too long or do you like it that length. Give me some feedback on what you think. Anyway, here is chapter 11. Hope you enjoy this. I have looked forward to this chapter – or maybe getting back to Lothlorien in general. Anyway enjoy! Oh the elvish and dwarfish translations are on the bottom of the page. P.S. the next chapter might be a little late because i have gotton a little behind in my typing. Two or three weeks ago, i was so obsessed with Lord of the Rings Online game. After that i'm like ok girl, you need to start typing again. So I typed out this chapter and then i got a lttle busy and couldn't get a good start on chapter 12, which will be long. No that i have time, I don't because the end of the quarter ends next friday and i am doing a big art project that would take me normally two weeks but i have to do it in one. Not only that, but Color Wars will start this next coming monday, and i don't have all the things i need yet. So ya see my predicament. Oh, then homecoming is next Saturday. **

**Disclaimer – I own nothing. Except my characters. That's it.**

Chapter 11

As the light from the Balrog disappears down the dark mine, I can vaguely hear Frodo's screams and cries as Gandalf falls. I look on the other side of the bridge and see a group of Orcs forming as they begin to shoot at us. Arrows begin to fly after the fellowship as they flee the mines. My instinct tells me to run, but I seem frozen on the spot. Every sound seems to fall fade in my ears as time go by. I feel Aragorn pull my arm and I don't move at first. I am still unable to comprehend what took place right before my eyes. The sound of Boromir calling our names brings me back to my senses. I turn and start running after the group. I want to get out of the dreadful place, and never go or look back. I run out the door and for a second the sun blinds me and slows me down. I then walk outside and separate myself a bit from everyone. Tears begin to gather in my eyes and I don't wipe them away. One sides down my cheek as I close my eyes. It seems like days ago instead of mere minutes when we all fought in Balin's tomb. I finger my necklace around my neck in hope of some sort of comfort. My fingers brush against the cool white stone in the center of two silver leaves twisting and wrapping around each other; as if giving each other comfort. I wipe the tears away from my eyes and walk back to the fellowship.

"Legolas," Aragorn says suddenly, "Get them up." I look over to my left and see that Legolas had also been seeking. His eyes show puzzlement as he turns to the group. He begins to walk to Merry and Pippin and Boromir starts to protest.

"Give them a moment for pity's sake!" Aragorn sheaths his sword and shouts back at Boromir.

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs." He then turns and looks at me with a new-found strength and look in his eyes. He stares at me for a second before he says the very thing I have dreaded him saying. "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien." I bow my head and a sick feeling forms inside my stomach. 'The ring is going to my country after all' I think to myself sadly. Aragorn then orders us all to start moving and he pulls Sam to his feet. He then calls for Frodo, who stands alone on top of a small and Frodo turns around and faces Aragorn. A single tear falls down his face as stands silently, taking in everything that happened moments before.

Aragorn and I walk in front of the group, leading them to my homeland and our refuge for the moment. Aragorn asked me to help him with the directions as we all began to continue our journey, without Gandalf. I have shown him the shortcuts and passageways to get there faster. I quicker the ring got to Lothlorien, the faster it would get out, at least that is what I think. We walk for an hour before I come to a familiar landmark. I jog ahead and look down into the small river before me. Its icy water gurgles and flows across the land, snaking across the land like a small snake. I smile to myself, 'We are getting closer' I think to myself. I look up and sure enough, Lothlorien is visible to us. The beautiful green forest is framed against the sky, giving it a majestic look to it. Aragorn comes up behind me and looks beyond the mountains to see Lothlorien as well. He turns to me and smiles. He ushers the rest of the group to hurry up as he continue.

For a few more hours we track down the mountain. Everyone has minor problems maneuvering around the rocks and ledges. The sun is still high in the sky when we finally reach the bottom. I lead them a couple more miles until the woods are only a few hundred feet before us. We all then run across a field of grass and into the woods. I instantly feel at peace; the soft rustling of the leaves and the quietness of the forest always calms me when I am on edge. I breathe in the smell of the woods, and sigh as we stop for a second under a tall, lofty tree. The leaves fall silently to the ground, making it a carpet of green and gold leaves. Aragorn raises his arm in front of him, ushering me to walk in front. I smile as I lead them deeper into my home. Only the sound of foots steps is heard as the fellow walks behind me. I turn back and look at everyone; they all are looking up into the canopy of the trees. I grin as I see Legolas looking around with his mouth slightly open, obviously in awe. As we walk along, I see movement out of the corner of my eyes. I turn my head in that direction, but see nothing but the lush trees towering above. A couple of minutes later, the same thing occurs again. I smile to myself as I realize what is happening. I look back at the fellowship, but no alarm is on their faces, except for Frodo and Gimli, who had told the hobbits about the "elf witch".

Suddenly the fellowship is surrounded by the archers of Lorien; notched arrows ready to fire appear in front of their faces, stopping them dead in their tracks. Legolas even takes out his bow and fits an arrow to it in a second, as If threating the large number of elves before him. More elves appear and surround the fellowship, making the fellowship get out numbered quickly. Everyone has an arrow in front of their face, except for me. All the elves recognized me immediately and know that I am not a stranger and don't pose a threat. The fellowship looks alarmed and confused about why the elves don't surround me like they do to everyone else. I turn around and I see a familiar golden-haired elf make his way to the front of his group. I smile once more as he addresses Gimli with his serious and yet sarcastic tone.

"The dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark."

I follow Haldir into the outskirts of Lorien, where the platforms for the guards are. The trees are so close together, they block out much of the sunlight. So it always seems like it is night-time here and in the city of Lorien. We pass more guards and wardens as we walk to the main platform. Many of the elves stop what they are doing and watch this unusual group make their way through their forest. All of them recognize me, but throw questioning looking to the others, especially Gimli. We come to a great tree, where some guards are stationed. We walk up the flight of stairs and meet Haldir, who is now greeting everyone.

(1) "Mae govannen, Legolas Thraduilion," Haldir say courteously to the prince bowing his head slightly and placing his hand across his heart. Legolas returns the kindness.

(2) "Govannas via gwennen le, Haldir o Lorien." Haldir then turns to Aragorn and addresses him as well.

(3) "A, Aragorn in Dunedain istannen le amen." Aragorn nods his head and acknowledges Haldir. Gimli was begging to grow agitated that the only language being spoken now is elvish. He also had to be mad that Haldir is not addressing or even noticing him now. I know that Gimli did not like the earlier comment that Haldir said, so it only added fuel to the fire. Finally Gimli just cracks.

"So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves! Speak words we can also understand!" Haldir turns and looks down at him, suddenly turning cold.

"We have not had _dealings_ with the Dwarves since the Dark Days," he says looking at Gimli coldly, as if blaming him for the rift between the Dwarves and Elves. Gimli – still mad – replies instantly.

(4) "And you know what this Dwarf says to that! Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!" Haldir gnashes his teeth and exhales through his nose, clearly mad at his comment. Aragorn grabs Gimli and scolds him for saying that. I don't know Dwarfish, but it had to be an insult according to Haldir and Aragorn's reactions. Haldir then sees Frodo in the back of the group. He takes a step forward and watches him for a moment. Haldir then speaks the words that I feared coming from his mouth.

"You bring great evil with you. You can go no further." He begins to walk away to the edge but I hurry and cut him off. I quickly begin to speak elvish so that the others could not hear and understand.

"We have come far from Rivendell, with a task from Lord Elrond. We can't complete it without stopping here. The least you can do is offer us some protection." I start to plea to him. I had hoped it would not come to this, for Haldir can be very stubborn sometimes. It's also hard to convince him also. I know from past experiences.

"From what," he whispers in elvish back, "The woods of Lothlorien cannot hide the power of the ring. You know this Kahlen."

"The road is dangerous and we need your support now! Without Gandalf, the fellowship is in confusion," I whisper back. The fellowship had now started sitting down, as if expecting this to be a long argument. Frodo looks at me and I try to give him an encouraging look, which is hard to do when you're arguing with Haldir. His eyes have an almost embarrassed look to them as he sets his eyes on me. Frodo turns his graze away and Haldir begins to walk away. I walk in front of him and stop him. There is no way I am going to let him turn us away, especially me.

"Please Haldir," I say softly, staring into his blue eyes. He looks at me for a minute and is silent. I can see the battle he is having in his eyes; he debates long and hard on what to do. He turnings away, looking anything but happy, and walks toward the fellowship.

"You will follow me."

– (1) Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil.

– (2) Our fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir of Lorien.

– (3)Oh, Aragorn of the Dunedain, you are known to us.

– (4)I spit on your grave


	12. Chapter 12

**Ohhhh Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhh! US FRESHMEN CAME IN THIRD PLACE! THE FRESHMAN LOSE EVERY YEAR IN COLOR WARS, BUT NOT THIS TIME! OH YEAH! AND TOMORROW NIGHT IS HOMECOMING! OH YEAH! Sorry, our win has got me going. i was SO excited for my first color wars and now homecoming! Sorry, i need to stop. Anyway, hey everyone! Hope everyone had a good week! Anyway here is another chapter. Anyway, PLEASE leave me a review to those who haven't yet. I'm practically on my knees begging now. But THANK YOU to the people who did. You guys **_**rock**_**! But remember… ****One does not simply rock into Moria. (Thank means you too seniors that win every year at our school and face us in tug of war because you Know we have no chance of winning. ) Again, sorry.**

**Disclaimer – I don't own anything related to Lord of the Rings**

Chapter 12

We walk out of the previous section of woods into a more spacious area. I could tell the sun had made its way lower in the sky, for now yellow and golden light streams through the leaves; even the trunks of the trees had a slight gold look to them. I guess that's why they call these the "Golden Woods". I look up into the tree's canopy and watch the sun's rays shine through the leaves. 'Each leaf is a small bit of magnificence that makes up the beautiful realm of Lothlorien' I think to myself. As I do this, a single leaf falls from one of the branches and gently spirals down to the ground. I watch as it gets closer and closer until the blades of the leaf brush slightly against my cheek and continue its journey down. My gaze lingers on the trees for a bit before I turn it back on Haldir. After he agreed to take us to Lorien, - he was none too pleased about it of course – the elves under his control also come with us. They would journey with us so far until they had to take up their new position, at least which is what I think. They walk single file behind us all, in fact everyone is walking in a single file. I walk behind Haldir as he takes us along a ridge and up the hill. A minute later we come to the top and look upon a beautiful sight. I sigh a content sign as I see my home once more; truly a sight for sore eyes. I see out of the corner of my eye Aragorn and Legolas come up and stand behind us.

"Caras Galadhon," Haldir says as if in a daze from its magnificence, "the heart of Elvendom on Earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn…"

"And of Galadriel, Lady of Light," I finish as the sun's rays shine on the glade of trees before us.

As we walk along the path, Haldir's group leaves and it is just him and the fellowship. The sky turns various shades of pink and purple as the sun passes and the moon begins to be visible. We pass into the forest and the light seems to have lessened, for once again there are more trees and they are closer together. But we can still see perfectly in these woods. As we walk deeper in the forest, the trees begin to grow thicker in roots and size. The hobbits walk with mouths open as the trail takes us between two large trees. I look up into the trees and see multiple platforms and houses built-in the trees themselves. In fact very few are built on the ground. I smile as a small elf maiden leans out the window to peer at our unusual group. I am proud of my city and country, very much like Haldir. That pride would never go away no matter what would happen. My love for Lothlorien is felt by all the elves, but my appearance doesn't really blend in with the crowd; I sort of stick out like a sore thumb in Lothlorien. Most of the elves are like Haldir: tall, long blonde hair and blue eyes along with some green. I had the blue eyes down and I am a good height, I just don't have the hair. I use to have blonde hair when I was little, but I turned darker as I grew older until it turned into brown.

By the time the sun sets we are still walking along the path. Moonlight streams through the trees, making the forest an enchanting sight. Soft blue glows come from all around the woods in the darkness, making it visible for all to see. The forest seems so immortal as the lights from all the houses begin to glow with both moonlight and the blue lights. I follow Haldir as we begin to descend a flight of stairs that spiraled and twisted around the trunk of a tree. Lights of silver and blue shimmer and shine around us as we continue to climb higher and higher. We then come to many platforms set on top of looming branches below. Some slightly overlap each other, making a sort of flat stair well. The multiple platforms lead to a palace lit and glowing with silvery lights in the tree above us. I look to the side and saw a good part of Lorien laid out before us. Haldir then steps to the side as we stand before another flight of stairs that leads to an archway. As we wait, two figures descend down the stairs hand in hand, glowing like a new sunrise. As Celeborn and Galadriel so closer I bow my head in greeting and respect. They halt as they reach the bottom of the stairs and stand before the fellowship. Celeborn then begins to speak.

"The enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone." He pauses a moment before he speaks again.

"Eight there are here, yet nine there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I have much desire to speak with him… I can no longer see him from afar." As I lift my head, Galadriel's eyes stare into mine, as if searching for answers. She studies me for a bit, then her eyes widen a bit in realization. I nod my head as she then begins to speak, her voice quivering slightly.

"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land. He has fallen into shadow." Celeborn turns to her in disbelief and sorrow. Silence takes hold of everyone as we once again, mourn the loss of our friend. Legolas then speaks up as well.

"He was taken by both shadow and flame: a Balrog of Morgoth. For we went needlessly into the net of Moria."

"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf's in life. We do not yet know his whole purpose." She then looks over at Gimli, who had bowed his head for a little while now. He seemed even more in sorrow than the rest of us, for he had lost his cousin and a good friend. She sends reassuring words his way.

"Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad- Dum fill your heart, Gimli son of Gloin." Gimli raises his head at her soft and yet strong words. A new light starts to shine in his eyes as he stares at the lady of light. Galadriel continues to speak.

"For the world has grown full of peril. And in all lands, love is now mingled with grief," she says as she turns her head in Boromir's direction. He shakes as Galadriel studies him with her eyes. One could only imagine what she was saying to him. Whatever it is about, signs of sadness flood into his eyes as he is unable to block Galadriel's words. Boromir then turns away with pained eyes, his body shaking slightly as he weeps. Celeborn then speaks once again.

"What now becomes of this fellowship? Without Gandalf, hope is lost." Galadriel then speaks.

"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail to the ruin of all." She pauses for a moment before she continues with a smile. "Yet hope remains, while the company is true." Sam holds her gaze while she looks at him, unlike Boromir.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will rest in peace."

The singing of the elves is faintly heard as we all settle in our little camp. A single voice is heard above the others as she sings the chorus of the song for Gandalf. The elves were kind enough to prepare a tent for us to rest in. For the hobbits sake, and probably Gimli's, they have set it up on the ground. Gimli has already turned in for the night; his soft snores fall silent under the singing of the elves above. I sit on my bed and lay my legs on the soft surface. It has been so long since I have slept in an actual bed. The hobbits – except Frodo – prepare their sleeping quarters on the ground. Aragorn sits and sharpens his blade; I can tell he is in deep thought, for he has run the stone on the same spot for a while now. I stare outside the tent till movement catches my eye. Legolas comes back from the fountain – I can tell by the slender pitcher he cares with care – and looks up. He stops for a moment and listens to the song.

"A lament for Gandalf," he says quietly, almost to himself.

"What do they say," Merry says as he sits up in his bed.

"I have not the heart to tell you, for me the grief is still to near," he says sadly as he turns to Merry. He walks in the tent and sets the pitcher on a small table and sits on his bed across from mine. I listen to the elves once more, the soft sounds of their melodies together, made a sound that sounded so beautiful, and yet so sad. I stare at a random spot and try to block everything out of my mind, but I am unsuccessful. Legolas had spoken the words right out of my mouth. It is hard not to think of Gandalf when we had come so far and got where he wanted us to go. His kind words and smile would be no longer used in comforting the fellowship; especially Frodo. I begin to ponder Celeborn's words he said earlier, without Gandalf, was there truly no hope. And yet at the same time, Galadriel's words find its way to comfort me. The lady is filled with wisdom and knowledge, so surely she knew best. 'Hope remains' as I think to myself and close my eyes. I sigh as I begin to tire from today's events. Legolas breaks me out of my trance as my thoughts begin to deepen.

"Why aren't you up there singing?" He asks me softly, as if not wanting the other to hear. His question catches me off guard and I do not know how to reply at first. I then catch his drift and reply.

"Many elves are blessed with the voice of singing. I was not." I say to him laughing.

"I beg to differ." I raise my eyebrows in confusion. I have only been around him for a couple of weeks, and I am sure I never even hummed a tune around him. The only time I sang was in the mines, but I thought everyone else was asleep.

"Only an elf can sing like you did in Moria." He says as he lies down and closes his eyes. A faint smile crosses his face, for what reason, I may never know. I didn't need to look to know the looks on my face; shock and embarrassment. I feel my face warm a little as a small blush appears for the first time in my life. I look away so he doesn't notice, which is stupid because his eyes are closed. I thought I had sung soft enough not to wake the others. Apparently I failed. I had always thought I was never much of a singer so I never bothered join the others to sing the evening song, or sing anything around others for that matter. Now that I knew Legolas had heard me, I wondered is the others had as well. Gandalf probably did because he saw me almost release my arrow at Gollum. Gandalf, his name brings sadness to my mind all over again. 'When will the world be right again' I think to myself as I lie down and let the darkness take me.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone! Back with another chapter! I've got an announcement to make. I will probably not update for a little while. The reason: I am behind on writing my chapters and I have to organize all the scenes and ideas. It might take a week, it might take longer. All I ask of you is to be patient. Thank you so much! Oh one more thing, if anyone wants to PM me some future ideas for this story, that absolutely fine. I have it pretty much planed out, but I would like some other ideas to. . Now I don't mean sending me an outrageous idea, but if you want a certain thing to happen at a certain time, tell me. I'm open to pretty much anything. So feel free to send me something!**

**disclaimer I don't own anything related to Lord of the Rings. Everything goes to J R.R. Tolkien. (Please send me ideas)**

Chapter 13

The paddle makes a small splash as Legolas rows our boat in the back. I look in front and watch the water part as our boat streams through the water. I gently place my fingertips in the water and watch as ripples form in the water. I close my eyes as the soothing sound of the water calms me. The morning is quiet and cool as we take our leave from the protection of the woods. I open my eyes and look around the shore of Lorien one last time as our boat descends from the bank and into the river. A light fog still lingers as the dawn departs and the sun peaks above the top of the trees, as if it is reaching for us and beckoning us back to the woods. The elves sing one last song that's heard faintly as we sail farther and farther away from my home. I recognize it; it is Lothlorien's song of sorrow. I sit back and watch the others in front navigate their own boats. Frodo and Sam sit in front of Aragorn as he leads us down the river. Merry and Pippin sit with Boromir as he trails behind Aragorn. Legolas, Gimli and I then follow Boromir. Green cloaks are present on every boat…

The fog lies heavily on the water and the land, showing signs that it is still clearly morning. Though the sun's rays begin to show, it is still dark on the ground. We all stand before Lord Celeborn in a line. I stand and watch at the end of the line as elves garb the fellowship in the forest green cloak and fasten them with green silver veined leaf brooches. I smile and look down at mine, fingering it once again. Where ever I go, I would have a small part of Lothlorien with me. That thought gives me comfort as Lord Celeborn then speaks to us; his breath visible as he talks, due to the cool weather.

"Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own people. May these cloaks shield you from unfriendly eyes."…

I hear Gimli sigh behind me and I turn around to face him.

"I have taken my worst wound at this parting, having looked my last upon that which is fairest. Haugh, I would call nothing fair unless it be her gift to me."

"What was her gift," Legolas asks. Gimli eyes go distant as tells us.

"I asked her for one hair from her golden head. She gave me three." Legolas and I smile. Gimli seems to have lost his hatred for the elves. 'Maybe he will not be so bad after all' I think to myself

"I can paddle the boat tomorrow since you have already done so today." I say tiredly. We have fought for a couple of minutes now over who will row the boat tomorrow. Gimli just sits in his spot and watches us back and forth, not even offering. 'I might have to reconsider that last statement about him' I think. Legolas just sits quietly, as if pondering my words, when I know he is not. He is too stubborn for that. I then turn around and hope that we will make camp soon. But as I look in the sky and see the sun still high in the sky, I know that my wish will not be granted now. Since the elves have immortal lives, you would think I have a high patience level. Mine sometimes runs a bit low. It doesn't happen often, but even Haldir has seen me desperate. As time moves on, the sun begins to makes its way west, until the sky is filled with the colors of purple and pink.

Aragorn then directs us to a bank along the river where we will rest for the night. The hobbits eagerly get out of the boats, stretching their muscles once their feet touch land. We unload the boats and set up a little camp. I roll out my little mat and set my supplies by it. I then decide to walk around to stretch out my legs a bit. I of course take my bow with me and head in a northern direction. As I make my way into the woods, I run into Aragorn.

"I'm going for a little walk." He seems hesitant at first, but when he sees my bow he nods and walks back into camp. I make sure to be alert as I walk into the thick and unfamiliar forest. But as I walk under the trees and watch the leaves fall from their branches, I get this strange comfort of home. Even though it was absolutely nothing compared to Lothlorien, it still was like home in some way. I smile and watch a pair of chipmunk scurry around in the leaves, then take off at full speed up the trunks of the trees. I watch them for a bit and find myself unable to move, for I did not want to interrupt and scare them off. I watch for another minute, and then as fast as they had appeared, they vanished in forest, taking their playful chatter with them. I continue walking for a bit, until I decide to walk back to camp.

Everyone is seated around the fire as I enter back in the camp. Their heads whip around as they hear me step on a little twig. They are at ease when they learn that it is me, Aragorn especially. I sit down by Boromir and take the plate of food that he offers me. There is little chatter among everyone; probably from our tiring boating journey. Aragorn then instructs everyone to get sleep because we would be up early to get on the river again. The hobbits eagerly take to their little mats and Gimli settles in his. Something catches Boromir's eye as he walks toward the bank, yet conceals himself behind a large rock; Aragorn follows him. I get up and grab my bow, ready to take the watch for tonight. Aragorn and Boromir pass me, both for them clearly upset and mad at each other; Aragorn looks frustrated and Boromir just looks offended and upset. I go to the rock Boromir was at and peer around it, curious at what he was looking at before. As I look across the back, I notice a familiar figure; one I saw in Moria. 'Gollum' I think to myself. It did and did not surprise me at the same time that Gollum is still following us. As I watch him a hand gently lays on my shoulder. I jump and turn around quickly, only to find Legolas behind me.

"Since you are going to row tomorrow, it would only make sense if I watch tonight," Legolas says with a faint smile. I smile to, happy that he gave in and agreed with me. I walk over to my mat and lay down. The sound of the flowing water begins to calm me as I begin to watch the stars, searching for all the constellations I knew. I turn my gaze from the stars to the elf on watch. He rubs his hand over the Galadhrim bow, admiring the full potential of it. He obviously loves his gift from Galadriel. I close my eyes as I remember her giving me mine…

Galadriel leads me away from the fellowship as they begin to load the boats with all the supplies we would need. The fog has lightened a little, but a portion of it still covered the water and land. Sunlight begins to seep through the branches of the trees and shines on the Lady of Light, making her seem to glow once more. It seems that no matter what, she is always glowing; I suppose that is why they call her the Lady of Light. Galadriel stops near a base of a large that is covered in delicate golden flowers. I look around me; I had no idea when I would be back, but hopefully when I do, Sauron will no more be a threat to us. I watch small birds settle in the canopy of branches above. The trees are close enough that the branches twist and wind together to make almost like a tent or a ceiling of a room; and yet, there are enough pockets of space and openings that sunlight can come through and brighten up the forest. I sigh as I realize it would be a long time before I see this forest again. This is my home; I had only just gotten here and now I had to leave it again. She waits a minute before speaking to me.

"My gift to you, Kahlen, is the Celebmir," she says as she pulls out a necklace. I unclasp the necklace around my neck and hold it as I let Galadriel put the new one on me. As she lowers her hands to her sides, I look at it more closely. It is silver in color, but yet almost translucent. Two small leaves (that are broad on the top, but get thinner toward the bottom) are wrapped loosely around each other and in the center; a white jewel lays shining and like a star in the night sky. Even in the sunlight, it glows and contrasts the sunlight.

"May it bring you protection and light, when you are troubled," Galadriel continues.

"Thank you," I say gratefully. She stares at the necklace for a second and looks back up at me. Her tone has changed as she begins to speak.

"You linger on the past Kahlen. You are the last of Estel's decedents; it can either be your hope, or it can be your doom. Even your father could not escape his fate," she says, almost in a whisper. I bow my head and close my eyes. Whenever the subject of my father comes up, a wave of sorrow covers from head to toe. It has been around six hundred years since my father was ambushed and killed by Mordor forces. Sometimes I still wake up with tears falling down my face. Galadriel, stand quiet for a minute and the only sound I hear is the light footsteps of the fellowship. She then looks into my eyes and speaks again.

(1) "Nama`rie ar' no in elenath hilar mam had gin." I bow my head in respect and place my hand over my heart. She then gently tilts my head to meet her eyes with her two fingers.

"For you will not see the Golden Wood again."

I did not understand the last thing she said to me before, but as lie here tonight, way from home, it became clear to me. I was not banned, for I had done nothing wrong, but a different reason why I would not be coming back. I shut my eyes and try to sleep, but it could not be possible for me to do easily. I do know that before I fell asleep, a single tear came from my eye and slid down my cheek. It then fell on the Celebmir, which was glowing as a small flame that had yet to be diminished…

– Farewell and May all the stars shine on your path.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! I'm back and better than ever! Jk. I Because it is the day before Thanksgiving, i though i could give you guys a little gift. i hope you like it. And i want to thank EVERYBODY who stuck with this story! I had a lot of ideas for my story and it was about time that I get a general outline of each chapter done and write all the ideas down, but the thing is I am still coming up with ideas! Thank God! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, even though it is a bit short. As Gandalf would say, "It's the deep breath before the plunge" In other words, since there is a battle next chapter, it will be longer next week. **

**Anyway, I want to give a shout out to ****ZabuzasGirl! ****Thank you for reviewing to my story! Since not saying thank you to the rest of you would be mean, I want to thank ALL who reviewed, favorite, or put my story on story alert! YOU GUYS ROCK!**

**Oh and another thing about my story; I am sorry if there are any confusions about Estel. I made up Estel myself, I had no idea there was actually a character in Lord of the Rings named that. I am sorry. And for those who are confused about another thing (earthbound68), Kahlen is NOT Galadriel's daughter in any way shape or form (if that is not what you are confused about then I have no idea). More about her parents will be released in The Two Towers.**

**Disclaimer - I don't own anything related to lord of the rings. Period. I only own Kahlen.**

Chapter 14

The sunlight's rays dance on the surface of the water as we continue to sail to sail on the Anduin River. Legolas sits up front while Gimli still sits where he did yesterday; he smokes his pipe idly as no word is spoken between any of us. Legolas turns his gaze from the others to the forest. He has done this quiet often now and I do not blame him. I too have felt a strange and evil presence in the forest if not coming toward us. I turn my gaze from the forest to Boromir, who is sailing ahead of us by a couple yards. Once again I see him glance at Aragorn and send him a nasty glare his way. Aragorn of course, is not looking at him so he does not see it. Boromir then turns his glare on the river and continues to paddle. I shake my head; they must have fought about something of importance last night, because Boromir and Aragorn seem to avoid each other more and more. And if they even looked at each other, it would be glares instead of the usual calm look.

A while later, I notice something rising up in the distance; It looks like two giant rocks or mountains on either side of the river. As we get closer, I see they are statues of men. When we begin to pass by them, I see that they both wear crowns on their heads and hold themselves in a king like manner. They both hold their left arms out with their palm out as if a gesture of warning. The hobbits stare at the beautiful statues carved from side of the mountain as we sail by Aragorn ancestors. Aragorn had to be in awe when he passed them. I watch as the land before us turns hilly and thicker with forest on both sides of the river. Speaking of which, was coming to an end as I could see; the mist of the waterfall is not too hard to see in the distance. Aragorn then turns his boat to the right shore and Boromir and I follow. Legolas jumps out as the boat hits sand and helps me pull it in more so it will not be carried off by the river. We then grab the supplies in the boat and set them onshore with the rest. With that being done, I grab mine and place them under a tree a few feet from the river. I already begin to set up my mat for tonight when Legolas comes over and kneels down by my side and speaks near my ear.

"A dark threat has lingered in my mind. Its presence is close." He whispers to me. He begins to look around warily, just as he did in the boat. I look around too as I hear a twig snap and the flutter of birds as the fly from the branches. I look at him and reply in a hushed tone as well.

"I have felt it too."

I help Aragorn unload and organize the rest of the supplies from the boats. He leaves a bit of the supplies in one of the boats – he tells me if we have to leave immediately- and begins to walk toward the fellowship. I look around for Legolas and find him not to far off, staring into the woods. Gimli sits next to Sam and is still smoking his pipe. Aragorn speaks to the fellowship about our next move as he grabs his pack and sets it done on the bank.

"We cross the lake at nightfall. Hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north." Aragorn says to everyone. It sounds like a good plan, but then again, everything has not gone the way we had planned. Everyone nodes and agrees, all but Gimli. Gimli then takes the pipe out of his mouth and speaks skeptically, as if speaking to a small, witless child.

"Oh, yes?! It's just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil? An impassable labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks! And after that, it gets even better!" Pippin stops crewing what he is eating and looks up at Gimli with fear in his eyes. The others seem to grow quiet and still at Gimli's words as well I notice.

"Festering, stinking marshlands, far as the eye can see!" He finishes grimly and stares at Aragorn with a raised eyebrow.

"That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf," Aragorn says in a calm and steady voice. I smirk as I see Gimli is somewhat taken back by Aragorn's words.

"Recover my…?! Phrrrrr…" Gimli stutters angrily. He looks around wildly, as if worried the others overheard the insult; everyone acts like they did not when I know they did... Legolas comes over and speaks quickly to Aragorn.

"We should leave now." Aragorn gives him a questioning look. He shakes his head and reasons with Legolas.

"No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness."

"It is not the eastern shore that worries me," he says as he looks back into the forest. I also look around as I begin to feel wary of the stillness and quietness of this new place. "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near...I can feel it!" Aragorn takes his words to heart and ponders them for a minute, deciding on what would be best to do.

"No dwarf need recover strength! Pay no heed to that, young Hobbit." I roll my eyes as I faintly hear Gimli speak, assuring to Pippin of his strength. But I know that he still is fuming about what was said earlier. Merry walks past us with an armful of wood and drops them next to the future fire. He looks around and then turns to us.

"Where is Frodo?" Aragorn's eyes widen and he whips his head around in search for the hobbit. I look as well, and as my eyes wonder, I notice Boromir's shield and pack lying neatly under a tree; but Boromir is nowhere in sight. I begin to worry at the sight of them missing, especially together. Instantly, I remember the intense scene from the mountain when Boromir almost did not hand Frodo the ring. He seemed to be manipulated by it and seem conflicted whether or not to let it out of his grasp. And even in the counsel, he seemed to be the first one drawn to it. Aragorn did not trust him then and I am pretty sure that he does not trust him now. Aragorn goes off into the woods in search of Frodo and supposedly, Boromir.

I lean against the tree and watch the others. Since everyone now knows that Frodo is missing, everyone is silent. Every minute that neither Frodo nor Aragorn returns, tensions rise even more. Gimli, who has now quit smoking his pipe, sits quietly with the hobbits, who often glance at one another with worry. Pippin pulls out a bit of lambas bread and nibbles on it to pass time. Legolas still glances at the pine woods with caution, as do I. I can feel the dark presence even closer now than before. 'Aragorn said that there were Orcs on the other side of the river, there could be Orcs on this side too' I think to myself, pondering the thought. The sudden flap of a startled bird frightens me for a second and brings me out of my thoughts. I look around and see neither Frodo nor Aragorn have returned. I turn my gaze to the two hobbits before me and…. wait… two? My eyes look around as I try to find Sam, but I am out of luck. 'Where did he go' I think as I try to calm my racing heart. I begin to worry not over Frodo and Boromir, but Sam now too. I try to hide my shock and worry from the others, so not to raise anxiety. 'Aragorn and Frodo must be in trouble' I think. I know that Sam would follow Frodo anywhere and if he was in some type of trouble, Sam would help him get out of it. He was probably getting to anxious waiting around for them to show up. Pippin's voice brings me out of my thoughts as he points to something across the river. He draws everyone's attention to the eastern shore and I see this as the perfect escape.


	15. Chapter 15

** Hey guys! I'm sorry i havne't reviewed in like forever. Part of it is that for a time, i was so addicted to my the hobbit kingdoms of middle earth app on my ipod, then i sent out two beta reader reqeusts,waited, and got no replies or answers. **_So if any of you would like to be my beta reader, please PM me_**. Wow, what a long journey. Fifteen chapters and we are done with the fellowship of the ring. I have to say I am ready for a change of scenery (literally)! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I spent a good time on it and I have to say I am happy about the ending. Well, next time I see you guy****s we will be in the Two Towers. Another Big Battle. I am trying to improve my battle scenes, so if you guys have any tips you use, can you please pass them to , enjoy the chapter! Oh and I would listen to Amon hen and the breaking of the Fellowship from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack while reading this- it really sets the mood. **_Oh, and some of you guys please check out the poll i have on my profile page. it has been up for a month and no one but one person has voted. _

**Disclaimer – I own nothing but my characters.**

Chapter 15

I quietly slip behind the tress unnoticed and I walk into the forest that has been making Legolas and me cautious about its presence. I walk swiftly under the trees of whose leaves cover the ground. I make sure my step is light so not to make much noise; Legolas and the others would notice me gone at once, as well as Sam. Once I am a good distance away, I jog up a hill and look around in search of any of my missing companions. The only things I see are ruins or statues here and there. I later come upon a head that once belonged on a statue. It is crowned in a variety of flowers, making it seem more like part of the earth instead of man- made. I look around and I see a disturbance on the ground. The leaves seem pushed away like someone fell or struggled. As I investigate some more, I hear the sound of clanging metal and pounding footsteps in the distance. I rush up the hill and come to the edge of a ruin where Aragorn stands. He unsheathes his sword and runs toward a large group of… 'What are those' I think in horror as I watch them. They are defiantly not Orcs; these creatures look bigger and smarter than Orcs. From the distance I can tell their armor is thick and their shields are broad and sharp. As I race down to help Aragorn, I hear one of them shout to the others, "Find the Halfling! Find the Halfling!" 'Frodo' I think to myself; they have come for the ring.

As I near the ruins, a group of these creatures come running to me. I whip out my bow and shoot an arrow into the neck of the one closest to me. I then take two arrows; aim, shoot and watch two of them fall and trip some of the others, allowing me some time. 'Thank you Haldir for the arrows' I think as I shoot another one; before I left Lorien, as a gift, Haldir gave me a new quiver, full of whit feathered arrows. I quickly notch another arrow as one comes barreling at me at great speed. I let go and the arrow juts out of its neck, along with another arrow. I turn around and sure enough, Legolas has his bow out and is shooting as well. Gimli of course is hacking at the creatures with his axe and enjoying himself. We all run deeper into the battle and aid Aragorn.

I spin and quickly climb on some stairs as four of the Uruk-hai come at me with their sword like weapons. I then use my knife to slash the one in front of me in the throat and I move on to the one behind it as it falls off the ruin of stairs. While I do this, Legolas uses his bow and takes out the other two. As I slash my way toward Aragorn, I hear Gimli's familiar grunts and growls as he fights the enemy. I duck as another Uruk-hai swing its blade at my head and I slash its throat in an x motion with both of my blades as I jump up. I try to keep a straight face as the stench of the reeking Uruk-hai corpses lay scattered everywhere. 'These creatures are defiantly not from Mordor' I think to myself as I block another blow with my knife and slash it in the face. As I then look around I notice there are not many left as there were before. Legolas seems to be faring well from what I can see; in a swift motion he stabs one with an arrow in the face and then nocks it to his bow and shoots at the one behind it. I run to help Aragorn as he is still fighting strong.

I watch more Uruk-hai come and prepare myself to fight again; only instead of running into battle, they change direction and run to the south, into the woods. 'Want do they want down there' I think as I help Aragorn fight the rest of the Uruk-hai. As he fights in the front with his sword, I have his back with my knives. Together, they don't even make a scratch on us. As we continue, fighting two loud blasts echo through the woods. We all pause for a moment in confusion until Legolas speaks.

"The horn of Gondor," Legolas says grimly as he faces the direction where the sound came from. So that is where the rest of the Uruk-hai went. They must have gone looking for Frodo and the ring; instead they encountered Boromir, who is now in trouble.

"Aragorn go," I urge him as I notice about ten or so Uruk-hai heading in the south direction. I watch him run before I run after them through the forest and try to engage the escaping Uruk-hai. I cut off the one farthest away from the group and cut him down, literally. Two more come toward me, but the rest keep running away. I extend both of my arms and slash their throats at the same time. I look up and see that they are a good distance away. A piece of ruin catches my eye and I think of a new plan. This hill happened to be full of ruins and would be hard to navigate through. I see an easier path however, that I think they might take. I run up stairs of the ruin and run down a slab off rock heading toward the enemy. As I had thought, they begin to change direction and come this way. I jump off the rock and land about ten yards in front of them. As first it is a standstill, until the horn sounds again. The first one growls at me and soon the others charge. I take a breath before I duck at the first slash and in a fluid motion I stab it in the gut. I then spin and slash the next one in the throat and move on to the next one. The others fall the same way. As the last one slowly fall to meet the ground, another comes in view, except he is much father way- and has an arrow notched and ready to fire at me. I hold the blade of my knife and throw my knife at him. With the swift swish of my knife cutting through the air, it makes its target- right in the neck of the beast. It seems stunned and does not fall at first. I walk toward it to retrieve my knife, when I hear Boromir's horn again. I then run past the beast and pull out my knife out at the same time as he is begins to fall.

I run through the woods in search of Boromir, but I have no luck. Then again, his horn sounded farther away this time. As I run, I notice a large group of Uruk-hai running in the same direction about one hundred yards away. As soon as they past, all is quiet. I come up a hill and look around. Bodies of Uruk-hai lay all around, dead and motionless. One thing is for certain, Boromir was here. I down the hill and do a light jog in the direction the Uruk-hai went, hoping that I will come across Boromir. I stop later and observe the scene once more. More bodies lay there and there. As I walk around I see sunlight pouring through the branches and shinning on a statue. I hear the sound of talking a bit away from the site. I run in that direction and in the distance I see Aragorn kneeling down in front of something, like a body I run into the clearing and freeze as I come upon the scene. Aragorn is kneeling in front of Boromir's body, which had been pierced by three thick black arrows. His face is as pale as the first winter snow and a trickle of blood stains his forehead. I feel dread fill my body as I know I am about to witness another death in the fellowship. I listen as Boromir gasps for words as he talks.

"Leave it! It is over. The world of men will fall, and all will come to darkness…and my city to ruin." Boromir say struggles to say with sorrow quiet evident in his voice. He then grasps Aragorn's shoulder and struggles to breathe for a second, but then regains is uneven breathing. 'His city' I think to myself, and then I remember where he came from. Oh how the city will wail when they hear the new that their beloved warrior is dead. I wonder how his father, the steward of Gondor will take such news. Aragorn begins to speak again.

"I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the white city fall…nor our people fail." Aragorn replies.

"Our people? Our people," Boromir confirms. Aragorn nodes and hands Boromir his sword, which was stained with the blood of his slain enemies. He takes the hilt and claps it over his chest tightly.

"I would have followed you my brother…My Captain…My King!" With those last words, color leaves his face as the life of men leaves him. Aragorn touches his hand to his forehead and his mouth in respect for the solider.

"Be at peace, son of Gondor." Aragorn leans forward and kisses him on the forehead. I hear Legolas and Gimli come upon the sad scene. Legolas's steps are slow as he makes his way to us. Gimli turns his head away in sorrow. I feel my eyes begin to water and I close them to hide it. Aragorn speaks as a tear slips out of my eye and rolls down my cheek.

"They will look for his coming from the White Tower. But he will not return." As he speaks those words, a ray of sunlight streams through the trees and shines on Boromir's body. The gentle call of the birds fill the forest as they too, mourn for the fallen solider. I look around the forest for the first time now that the Uruk-hai is gone. The moss and small flowers that grow on the towering trees above us make the forest seem tranquil and quiet. Perhaps, this is a nice place to die. As I look upon his face, I suddenly feel guilty for the way I felt about him. He had stayed gallant and true to the end; a true solider.

I watch as the white boat carries off the solider of Gondor down the river. His shield lied at the end of the boat near his head, where the blood had been washed off and his hair neat. Both hands are holding the hilt of his sword on his chest with his horn – which had been cloven in two- by his side. Aragorn replaces his vambraces for Boromir's, as a memory of the promise he made to him before he died. I glance at them and see the white tree on Gondor engraved on them; for some reason, it suited Aragorn. Aragorn and I watch as the boat slid down the edge of the river and down the Rauros falls. He will be at peace. Legolas then slides a boat into the river and calls for us.

"Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore!" Aragorn looks on and watches Frodo and Sam walk up the hill, and become hidden behind the many trees. Legolas watches him with sorrow engraved on his features.

"You mean not to follow them." He stares sadly.

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands." Aragorn assures us.

Then it has all been in vein! The fellowship has failed." Gimli cries. 'What would Elrond think of this' I think to myself. The ten mighty companions –the fellowship- had now dwindled to three. We all knew it would not be easy and that we would endure trials, but this… As I ponder this, the words of Galadriel fill my head,_ yet hope remains, while the company is true._ Hadn't we been true; true to the quest and true to each other? Aragorn gathers us all in a circle and places his hands on our shoulders.

"Not if we hold true to each other. We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left. Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light. Let's hunt some Orc!" Aragorn sheaths his dagger and takes off into the woods. Gimli is happy with Aragorn's statement.

"Yes! Haaahahaa!" He shouts as he tears through the forest with his axe in hand. Legolas follows. I start to run, but stop mid-stride. I turn and look to the eastern shore. The only evidence for Frodo and Sam there is the boat that lays anchored there. I know by now they are a good distance away, but I still feel like they are looking back at me. As I pear farther into the woods, I see that he is. I send a smile and blessing his way, before he turns and disappears again into the brush.

"Farewell, Frodo Baggins." I whisper to myself.

"Kahlen." I turn and run to follow the others. Legolas waits for me and together we run to track down Merry and Pippin. 'The end of one journey and the beginning of another' I think. I kind of liked the sound of that. For Frodo and Sam, there's to, is just about to begin.

"Until our next meeting."


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey! Well we are finally in the Two Towers. I worked on this chapter for a while, trying to get everything right and sounding good. We are after all in a new setting and country after all. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think of it. And I also want to thank EVERYONE who favorite, reviewed and alerted my story! You guys totally rock! Oh, and happy birthday J. R. R. Tolkien! I am posting this chapter in your honor!**

**And a HUGE thanks to my beta reader, ****trollalalala****,****who edited this chapter and chapter one for me! You have no idea how much of a help it is.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own anything to do with Lord of the rings.**

Chapter 16

It has been three full days since the day we decided to leave Frodo and Sam and go after Merry and Pippin. Three days since our friend Boromir fought fiercely, and died at the hand of the Uruk-hai. It pains me now to think of Merry and Pippin in the brutal company of the Uruk-Hai, and that we had not yet caught sight of them for days. The only visions we have of our enemy are the footsteps engraved in the earth, a foul stench that lingers in the air wherever they travel, and the echoes of their marching in the rocks. We had long ago abandoned the lofty trees and leafy ground of the forest; we are now traveling upon plains that stretch as far as the eye can see. I can see mountains in the distance, but that is the only thing, except large rocks that lay scattered here and there, as if they hold no purpose but to improve the landscape. Ahead, I see more hills that could be compared to small mountains. If my memory serves me well, I would say that we will soon be entering the country of Rohan, Home of the Horse Lords. I tear myself from my thoughts to Aragorn as he leans down and places his ear against a bare rock, listening to the footsteps of the Uruk-hai. He closes his eyes to concentrate. I look behind me to find Legolas or Gimli, but they are nowhere to be seen. Gimli had nearly passed out at one point, and Legolas had told Aragorn and me to go on as he helped Gimli. It is odd that an elf and a dwarf would be in such a friendship. That scene happened not but a few minutes ago. I turn to Aragorn again as he lifts his head from the rock.

"Their pace has quickened. They must have caught on our scent. Hurry!" Aragorn shouts to us as he takes off running again. I follow in pursue, hoping that the other two will catch up soon.

"Come on Gimli!" I hear Legolas yell behind me. I turn my head and see Legolas running behind and from the distance I can see Gimli walking at a brisk pace trying to recover strength and his breath. I smile and keep running as Legolas catches up to my side.

"There's nothing like traveling with a dwarf," Legolas says softly, so Gimli will not hear, in an attempt to lighten the mood. It was frustrating for all of us to have to chase day and night with no progress at all. I chuckle and continue to follow Aragorn, whose pace had sped up. As we run I look around at the beautiful scenery around us. It seem the farther we get, the more beautiful it becomes. The gentle, rolling hills against the pale blue sky makes the scene seem peaceful and serene. Long have I yearned to look upon the land of the Horse Lords and gaze upon the rolling hills. It is not a beauty like the sight of Lorien, but it is beautiful all the same. Both Legolas and I keep checking to see if Gimli is catching up, but it's not like we can stop anyway. I do feel sorry for him; we have been running three whole days and nights with little rest and food. For Legolas and I the long traveling is no problem. For Gimli however, it is. But I do have to give him credit, for he has been holding out well under the conditions. We then come upon a little valley, and I look down and see the ground worn with footsteps…many footsteps. Aragorn stops ahead and kneels down. Legolas and I slow down and stand behind him. He gingerly and slowly picks something off the ground. I look closer and see that it is a leaf Lothlorien trees, particularly a broach off one of the hobbits' cloaks. Aragorn looks ahead.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall," He mummers gravely. I quickly remember the time, on the path to Galadriel's garden, that I had spotted a fallen leaf and analyzed it. That was before I was caught in this whole messy affair.

"They may yet be alive," Legolas say encouragingly. Aragorn stands up and begins to run again.

"Less than a day ahead of us! Come!" He shouts. I hear a loud thud from behind and both Legolas and I turn around to look at the same time. We see Gimli rolling down the hill unceremoniously and landing on the ground with a dull thud. I shake my head at the scene as Legolas turns to run, shouting encouraging words to him.

"Come Gimli, we are gaining on them!" Gimli stands and begins to jog, huffing as he goes. I wait until he is beside me to start running.

"I am wasted on cross-country! We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over shout distances!" I hear him say. I chuckle at his comment. Legolas's words bring encouragement to me too. Ever since I learned that the Uruk-hai took Merry and Pippin captive, I had been worrying about them nonstop. They lay so heavily on my mind, but I try to keep my thoughts hopeful and I pray every night that they are not harmed. But I don't see why they would. Obviously, the Uruk-hai thought they had the ring; it is the only reason that the Uruk-hai would kidnap them. Boromir had done his best to protect them, and now it is our duty to get them back.

Gimli and I run up a steep hill and come to stop where Aragorn stands with Legolas. I look out at the open country; the rolling hills and the grassy fields are exactly what I have imagined. In the distance I can see dust moving to the north. I run ahead to get a better look. I jump with perfect balance from rock to rock until I come upon a little cliff where I can get a better view. From what I could tell, the dust is moving to the northeast at a fast pace. Dread begins to fill me as I realize just where the Uruk-hai is taking them and who is behind this whole plan. Behind me I can hear Aragorn shout.

"Kahlen, what do your elf eyes see?"

"The Uruks turn northeast." I reply. I hear Legolas walk up from behind and he stands by my side, studying the situation. With worry on his face he shouts to Aragorn, "There're taking the hobbits to Isengard!

'Saurman' I think, as the once green grass becomes stained and trampled under the Uruks feet.

Desperate to catch up, we continue to run after them. From low valleys to high hills we track them hot in pursuit. I jump over a small creek that snakes its way across the valley. A couple seconds later I hear splashing and grumbling from behind me. I did not need to turn around to know it was Gimli who was trudging through the water. We then come out of the valley and on to the plains again with the vast landscape laid out before us.

"They run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them," I hear Legolas say as the dust from the Uruks is again visible in the distance. I watch as the clouds overhead begin to pass and get lower. The sky begins to grow darker; in an hour night would set in. We run far into the night and go by the moonlight and stars for light. In the early hours of morning is when Gimli finally had it; he could go no further. He begins to stumble as we slow our pace down. He stops and mutters something that I cannot translate to us.

"Aragorn," I say as I grab his shoulder to stop him. He looks at me confused and I turn toward Gimli. He is hunched over, trying to catch his breath with Legolas behind him patting his back. I see that Legolas is trying to offer him encouragement, but Gimli is too tired to listen.

"Gimli can go no further. We must stop," I say to Aragorn. He looks at me like I am crazy. He turns but I stop him again.

"The Uruk-hai cannot travel without rest either. They would have least stopped by now. You even said so yourself that the rocks cannot hear their footsteps anymore." Aragorn looks back at Gimli who had now sat down on the ground. Legolas comes over and stands by me while we both wait for Aragorn's reply.

"We will rest for an hour," he says as he walks toward Gimli with water. He gladly accepts it and drinks. Not wanting him to get sick, he pauses a minute before he drinks again. Aragorn sits on a rock and turns his gaze north. I take out my lambas bread and offer it to Gimli. He gladly accepts that too and eats his fill on the elvish bread. I too then sit on a rock and rest, even though I do not need it. I watch as Gimli (too tired to take out his mat) simply lies down and falls asleep. His loud snores are heard soon as his body relaxes. Aragorn also lies down to sleep, though I don't think it will be for a while. I look up and gaze at the stars. They give me an odd sort of comfort; I felt like no matter where you were, they are always there. Whenever you are in a foreign place, the stars you see at home linger above your head.

I look down at the Celebmir as it glows in the dark; not bright, but a soft glow. I take the necklace and begin to finger the white leaves. It brings me a sense of peace, but yet it reminds me of my task. My fate is no longer in protection of Galadriel; I knew that when she gave me the Celebmir. I notice how beautifully it is crafted; how the jewel fits so nice in the center of the leaves. It truly is the silver jewel of Estel.

I look above and see the sun begin to peek above the top of the plains. Shades of pink and red begin to streak across the sky. I stand and walk toward a small ledge formed by the rocks. I stand by Legolas who has also taken notice of the sky. His voice is quiet as he speaks to me.

"A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night."


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey Everyone! Up with another chapter as you can tell. I don't really have anything to say except that the next chapter will be longer than the last few ones I have posted. Also starting next chapter, I might start pulling a thing or two out of the books.**

**I also would like to thank trollalalala for helping me with this chapter as well. It is a huge help! Thank you. **

**And i am sorry about how long you guys had to wait for this chapter. Not only am i writing the future chapters, but rewriting the old ones as well. It is a slow progress, but it will eventually get done soon. Hopefully. No, it WILL get done, as soon as possible.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own ANYTHING that has to do with Lord of the Rings. Period. I only own Kahlen and Moroch.**

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Chapter 17

We continue on once Aragorn wakes Gimli. This time we each have a piece of the lambas bread before we go to give us strength. We run over the plains and hills as the sun begins to take its usual place in the sky. Aragorn stops and bends down, laying his ear to a rock to listen for the footsteps of the Uruk-hai. I look across the plains in hope of seeing the rising dust from their heavy footsteps, but I see nothing but the swaying of grass in wind. I turn to see Aragorn getting up with a look of confusion and worry. I can tell by the look on his face that he has heard nothing. He turns on his heel and starts running.

'They couldn't have possibly gotten that far ahead of us' I think as we follow after Aragorn.

We stop in the peak of the afternoon, but it is not to rest. Aragorn had bent down to study the ground when we all hear it. As we stand by a group of rocks, a thundering noise is heard across the plains, so loud I can feel slight vibrations in my feet. Aragorn seems alarmed at first and motions for us to hide behind the rocks. As we crouch down, the rumbling gets even louder. That's when I realize it; it isn't footsteps of the Uruk-hai. It's the hooves of horses. Sure enough, a couple seconds later, hundreds of mounted soldiers ride by, not even noticing us. The colors of Rohan whip in the breeze as the warriors hold their banners high, along with their spears. After they pass, Aragorn stands up and walks to where we had previously stood.

"Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?" He shouts to them. As soon as the words leave his mouth, one of the riders, assumedly the leader raises his spear and turns his horse. The others follow, racing toward us at full speed. Legolas, Gimli and I stand by Aragorn and await the Rohan cavalry to meet us, and possible trample us. They all form a tight circle around us, pointing their spears at us as we look from rider to rider. As I take a step back, I find that I have stepped into Aragorn, for we now stand back to back, forming our own little circle. They are all so close; all I would have to do is barely stretch my arm, and I would've come face to face with a spear point. Aragorn raises his hands in way that speaks of our good intentions. We mean no harm. Suddenly the leader – who I assume is captain of the regiment- cuts through the circle, sitting tall and proud on his horse. His tone is sharp and full of business as he speaks.

"What business does two elves, a man and a dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!"

"Give me your name, horse master, and I shall give you mine," Gimli growls in a daring tone. I groan on the inside; I can tell this person in front of me has little patience and the hope of a friendly encounter is now gone thanks to the dwarf beside me. The man stares at Gimli in disbelief as he hands his spear over to the rider beside him. He then jumps off his horse and swaggers his way to Gimli with confidence. Aragorn places his hand on Gimli's shoulder in hope of restraining him a bit. Obviously, this man was about to throw an insult at him. If I still had a hatred for dwarves –which I didn't ever since Gimli spoke kind words to the Lady Lorien- I probably would have been cheering the man of Rohan on.

"I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher off the ground." Gimli breathes deeply and holds a steady eye contact. Legolas whips out his bow with an arrow notched and aims at the man's head in a lightning fast move.

"You would die before your stroke fell!" The riders raise their spears and jab them right in our faces –literally- as he finishes that statement. The captain looks at him with a raised eyebrow and a questioning look, obviously wondering why on Earth an elf would stand up for and defend a dwarf. Aragorn lowers Legolas's bow slowly and turns toward the horse master in order to restore some sort of peace. Gimli exhales the breath he has been holding these last few seconds. Out of the corner of my eye I see Legolas still holding steady eye contact with the captain; his face holding no emotion except distaste for this man.

"I am Aragorn son of Arathorn. This is Gimli son of Gloin, Legolas of the Woodland realm and Kahlen of Lorien. We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king." The captain's look of rage had now turned to sorrow as he looks at the ground for a second before he removes his helmet and speaks. The riders taking this gesture as a sign remove their spears from our faces and hold them high.

"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe. Not even his own kin." He pauses before he speaks again. "Saurman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company and I are those loyal to the king, therefore we have been banished." He pauses a moment before he starts speaking once more with a sour look on his face.

"The White Wizard is cunning. He walks there and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets."

"We are not spies," Aragorn assures him. The man still looks cautiously at him. As he looks at all of our faces, his gaze stops on me. When Aragorn told him that I was from Lorien, he threw a look of caution and concern my way. Like Gimli said when we first entered the forest, everyone thinks that our Lady of Light is in fact, a witch of some sort. And since everyone thought that she is a witch, everyone who comes from our country is not to be trusted. 'We are not spies' echoes in my head; to this man we probably did, I mean our company did look quiet strange. 'We have a defensive dwarf, a rebellious elf, a wicked elf clearly not to be trusted and man who is trying to play the role of a peacemaker' I think to myself sarcastically. Luckily Aragorn settles everything by trying to explain our current mission to the good captain.

"We track a band of Uruk-hai. They have taken two of our friends captive."

"The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them in the night." He tells us as Aragorn finishes talking. I am suddenly filled with dread; if they were killed, what of Merry and Pippin? Wouldn't these horsemen have found them and be with them now? Thoughts of the worst come to mind and I quickly shake them off. My thoughts are interrupted as Gimli speaks franticly.

"But there were two hobbits! Did you see two hobbits with them?!" He looks confused as Gimli begins to sputter about Merry and Pippin. I place my hand on this shoulder to stop him before I speak.

"They would be small, only children to your eyes." I say, hoping that he would remember what happened too them or at least know where they were going. Merry and Pippin weren't that small that they could be over looked. Then again, the men were on horses…

"We left none alive." His words hit me so hard I almost find it hard to breathe.

"Dead?" Gimli says, not believing the words coming from his mouth. The captain glances at him sadly and nods. What anger he felt toward him before has now turned to pity. A deathly silence hangs in the air as the news sinks in. I shut my eyes in hopes of shutting the news out. I just could not believe it! I feel Legolas's hand on my shoulder as he tries to comfort me the best he can. Nothing will give me comfort if Merry and Pippin is truly dead. I shake my head to rid the thoughts; I will not believe them until I know for sure.

"I'm sorry. Hasufel! Arod! May these horses serve you better than their former masters." At his words, two horses come from behind the other riders and make their way to us. Hastel is a light brown horse with a mane similar in color. Arod's coat is white with flecks of gray and his gray mane has strands of white in it as well. Both of the horses quietly nicker at us once they are at our side. With a farewell, the captain mounts his horse and leaves us with one last thought.

"Look for your friends, but do not dare to hope. It has forsaken these lands." As soon as his horse leaves, the others follow in an orderly fashion. And as fast as they came, they leave. We then look to where the captain pointed and see the smoke rising in the distance, not far from where we are. I turn my gaze to the horses. Legolas is already mounting Arod while Aragorn mounts Hastel. Aragorn extends his arm out to me and lifts me behind him. Legolas- with a little difficulty- gets Gimli behind him and soon we are off galloping toward the smoke, where we will soon learn of Pippin and Merry's fate.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys, up with another chapter. I used bits of the book on this chapter when they are in Fangorn forest.**

**disclaimer- I don't own anything except my own characters.**

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Chapter 18

We ride as fast as we can in the direction of smoke, towards the scene of battle. As we come over the hill, from behind Aragorn I see the huge piles of carcasses are growing bigger. The bodies are not the only thing that is growing bigger though; a foul and bitter stench fills the air as the rotting Uruks burn. When we come upon the pile, we are greeted with a head of an Uruk on a spear stuck in the ground. Aragorn observes the pile for a second before he dismounts. Legolas, Gimli and I dismount after him, and Gimli takes out his axe and sifts through the pile. Aragorn stands quietly and looks for any trace of the hobbits.

I wander a bit farther, looking for any signs that they survived the massacre. And a massacre it was, by the looks of it. Spears and arrows litter the ground and bodies lie here and there. The ground and grass are worn from the hooves of horses and the heavy feet the Uruks. I then turn my gaze south, where Fangorn Forest began.

'Surely they would not go in there' I think as I walk back to the smoking pile.

Legolas and Aragorn are still looking around for even tiny hints of the hobbits. I hear a small gasp behind me and see Gimli holding something with care. He turns toward us with tears in his eyes.

"It's one of their wee belts," he chokes out.

I recognize them as soon as I see the empty sheaths. They were the belts Lady Galadriel had given them. I feel my eyes beginning to water as I stare at them.

'We came too late'.

Beside me, I hear Legolas saying a prayer and blessing for them in elven tongue. Aragorn suddenly kicks a nearby helmet in anger and sends it soaring ten yards where it lands with a heavy thud. He then falls to his knees and bows his head in shame. Though I am trying not to notice him for fear of crying myself, I cannot help but feel more tears pricking my eyes.

I stand a little straighter, trying to remain impassive. A million thoughts ran through my head, and it was enough to make my breath hitch in a panic. I just could not believe it. We had come so far and as fast as we could, but still it wasn't enough. Not only did we fail them. We failed Boromir as well.

"We failed them," Gimli says sorrowfully in a thick voice.

Aragorn lifts his head and studies the ground again. His hand skims the surface the ground and he gingerly pushes some dirt aside.

"A Hobbit lay here. And the other." He says sadly.

But as he studies the ground more, the sadness on this face turns to confusion and curiosity. He gets up and walks by the tracks that Merry and Pippin supposedly made the last night.

"They crawled. Their hands were bound." His speaking grows more energetic and even holds a glimmer of hope.

He walks a few more steps before he suddenly drops to the ground and picks up something. I see that it is a thick rope that was crudely cut with a blade. Aragorn's voice is filled with renewed anxiety as he looks on and starts walking again.

"Their bonds were cut."

We are now all running to keep up with Aragorn's fast pace.

"They ran over here." He says as he circles the area in front of him. Aragorn looks past the many hoof prints to find the soft tracks of the Hobbits. In the ground, I notice small steps, assumedly Merry's or Pippin's. As Aragorn follows the tracks, I notice that we are getting farther from the scene of battle. Hope begins to rise in me,

'Maybe one of their belts fell off, that why it is in the pile' I think to myself.

Aragorn gingerly touches the ground. "They were followed."

Now we are not far from a running pace.

'I have to give Aragorn credit for his tracking skills as a ranger' I muse, almost with amusement in this grim place.

He leads us even farther from the battle ground. I am filled with hope and dread at the same time when we stop at the beginning of the forest that everyone feared.]

"Tracks lead away from the battle…into Fangorn Forest."

"Fangorn! What madness drove them there?" Gimli says with a bit of fear and worry in his voice.

"Orc blood," I hear Gimli spit in disgust behind me.

It turns out that the Orc that was following Merry and Pippin had indeed followed them into the forest. How dark and eerie it must have been for Merry and Pippin to be in this forest at night. How frightening for them.

Many people claim the forest to be riddled with evil, but I feel no evil from this forest. The only evil I feel present is the evil craft of Saruman who is miles away.

Aragorn stops now and then to find clues hidden in the ground. Hidden they are. The ground in Fangorn cannot be as easily read like the ground outside. The forest floor is dry in some places, yet wet in others. Despite the differences of the earth, leaves lay everywhere on the ground. They lay still, for no breeze can make its way past the thick vegetation.

"These are strange tracks," I here Aragorn mutter to himself.

Aragorn studies them closely as I take another look around the forest. It truly had to be many years older than Legolas and I, older than our ancestors.

Heavy vines and thick moss coat the tall trees. The thick foliage from the canopy blocks out most of the sun's rays, making it so only a couple beams of light can make it through. Because of this, the woods are made a dark place, even in the day time.

In a way it reminds me of Lothlorien, but I quickly shake that thought off. For nothing –not even this forest in its better years – could compare to my home.

The air in the forest is stuffy and heavy as well, like it intends to suffocate anyone who steps foot in it. As I study the trees, I hear a light quiet whisper in the air above. I would surely miss it if it were no for my elven ears. I glance over at Legolas and see that he too has noticed. I walk over to the tree closest to me and place my hand on its bark. I block out all other noises as I listen to the tree's thoughts.

The tree's memories and feelings flow through my mind and into my soul, wrapping around my heart in a cold embrace. The tree itself is tense and fears a growing darkness to the south. Images of Orcs cutting down forests and plowing through trees enter my mind. Behind them, I can see the dark, looming tower of Orthanc, where the betrayer, Saruman, is hiding. Darkness not only exists in Isengard, but in the forest as well. A few trees have grown black at heart and are full of anger. I then touch the minds of the trees around us; they do not feel anger toward us, only watchfulness.

"The trees are no harm to us if we do not harm them," I say in elven tongue to Aragorn and Legolas. I pull my mind from the trees around me a walk next to Legolas, who looks at the forest in awe.

"I feel almost young again, being among these trees of old. I would like to come here again, when the days of peace are among us." He says to me in a low tone, not wanting to distract Aragorn who is still studying the mystery of the strange tracks.

I give a small smile and agree with him. I can understand his feelings about his forest; it has a touch of Mirkwood about it as well as Lothlorien. I am brought out of my thoughts when I hear Gimli talking under his breath as he walks past us.

Somehow he heard Legolas's comment and is now grumbling to himself about the how we elves are a strange folk when it comes to the woods. Legolas and I merely laugh and continue on once Aragorn find the right tracks again.

"The air is so close in here." I here Gimli exclaim out loud to us. I noticed earlier that the tree seem to be closer and the air beginning close in around us. Legolas stops a moment and takes in the scene. It looks to me like we are in an older part of the forest. The smell of wood lingers in the air as moss hangs lazily from the branches.

"This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory…and anger." A loud grumbling is heard around us. Whispers begin to fill the air again as Gimli, in fear, raises his axe, ready to hack away at the trees if he must.

["The trees are speaking to one another," Legolas says as the deep groans roll through the forest and sink into the roots beneath the earth.

I turn around to see Gimli franticly looking around, jumping at every noise that wounds the air. I hear Aragorn whisper at Gimli to put his axe way.

Legolas turns to him and speaks softly, "They have feelings my friend."

Suddenly, I begin to feel another presence in the forest, a wizard. With Isengard not but fifteen miles away, I did not have to guess who it could be. I look at Legolas and see that he too has noticed it. He moves into a clearing where he listens closer.

"Aragorn, nad nâ ennas!" Legolas says, alerting Aragorn and gaining his attention. Aragorn and I quickly rush to his side.

"Man cenich?" Aragorn replies in a tense voice.

"The white wizard approaches." Legolas replies in an even tone. We all look at one another and turn back to Aragorn. I can feel that Saruman's presence is even closer than before. He is probably right behind us now

"Do not let him speak, he will put a spell on us," Aragorn whispers to us. Aragorn grabs the hilt of his sword and pulls it a quarter out of his sheath. Gimli, out of the corner of my eye, tightens the hold of his axe and holds it to his side. Both Legolas and I notch an arrow to our bows. I finger the feather on the arrow and pull it back a little.

"We must be quick," Aragorn says to us all before he spins around and unsheathes his sword.

As I turn around with my arrow pulled back and ready to fire, a blinding white light appears in front of us. I look into the light and see the figure of a man garbed in white holding a staff, Saruman.

Gimli throws his axe at him at great speed, but the wizard blocks it easily. I release my arrow after Legolas and watch in amazement, Saruman block both arrows with his staff as well. Aragorn sword suddenly glows red like a flame and Aragorn drops it like he's been burnt. Aragorn then shields his eyes and tries to look into the brilliant light.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," the wizard simply says, not casting some spell on us like we thought.

"Where are they?" Aragorn shouts. I then begin to notice something strange after the wizard starts talking; his voice begins to change. No longer is it deep, but light and…familiar.

"They passed this way, the day before yesterday. They met someone they…did not expect. Does that comfort you?" Aragorn also notices the change. The voice of Saruman now, does not match the foul, deep voice he heard in the storm on Caradhras.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Aragorn shout to the wizard demanding an answer. And what a reply we got. Light then disappeared behind the figure, revealing long white robes. In his hand the wizard held a white staff that matches the colour of his robes and long hair. But as the light totally vanishes, we are left with not a stranger, but Gandalf himself! My mouth drops as I stare at him; I had thought that he died from the fall.

"Forgive us, me mistook you for Saruman," Legolas says as he, Gimli and I bow to one knee. Aragorn still stands in disbelief before Gandalf.

"It cannot be! You fell," I hear Aragorn exclaim.

"Through fire and water. From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, I fought with the Balrog of Morgoth. Until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside. Darkness took me. And I strayed out of thought and time. Stars wheeled overhead and everyday was as long as a life-age of the earth. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again. I've been sent back until my task is done."

"Gandalf!" Aragorn still says in disbelief.

"Gandalf," he says with confusion upon his face. He thinks for a bit when suddenly gasps and realizes, "That's what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That was my name." He smiles and chuckles as he remember his old name. I feel the corners of my lips turn up as I watch him. 'Gandalf the grey he will be no longer' I think to myself as I stare at his white robes, 'Saruman is no longer the white, but the dark'.

"I am Gandalf the white. And I come back to you now, at the turn of the tide."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Hey guys! So how was the superbowl to you guys? I just watched it for the commercials (i thought the goat 4 sale doritos commercial was the best!) I have another little scene with Kahlen and Legolas in this chapter. I know there is not many of those scenes, but I am trying to work them in. Oh, I realized that I may have caused some confusion among you guys. I did not realize that Estel is an actual character. When I was looking at the elven language, I saw that Estel means "hope", so I wanted to use that name. It is my fault for not looking to see if it was an actual character. I do not want to change the name however, so here is the information of MY Estel. **

**Estel was a she-elf that lived in Lothlorien at the time when Sauron was destroyed in the second age. However, she saw in a vision that he would regain his strength and become a threat again. But, she also saw that a decedent of hers would help aid in the final defeat of the dark lord. When the Orcs heard of Estel's prophecy, they sought to destroy all of the decedents. One survived however, Daermaethor, Kahlen's father. **

**Oh and i want to warn you guys that chapter 20 might not be coming next week. I have been using all my writing time to rewrite the other chapters. So if it comes late, please don't kill me. Since i did not get a response, I will continue using the book to back me up. I don't know why, but i like using the book as well as the movie. **

**Disclaimer- I don't own Lord of the Rings.**

**B/N: Hey, it's trollalalala here, the beta for this story. It's hard work, doing this for Immortal Inheritance (no, not really. Well, yes really.). I hope you like the story! Please review. I like reviews. As does everybody.**

Chapter 19

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"One stage of your journey is over, another begins," Gandalf says as we make our way out of the forest.

I smile as I hear Gandalf's voice again; I had thought my eyes were fooling me when he first made himself visible. It is a wonderful feeling knowing that Gandalf is back and here to help us. My heart leaped with joy when I learned that Merry and Pippin were alive and safe as can be.

But now that they are safe, what now?

Our original mission was simply to aid Frodo, which had turned into a rescue party for Merry and Pippin. Who knows what will happen after this? Luckily, Gandalf soon answers my questions.

"War has come to Rohan. We must ride to Edoras with all speed."

As the others follow Gandalf, I stop for a moment and look at the forest one last time. There are few great forests left in Middle Earth and Fangorn was one of them. The trees are ancient and wild as they twist and reach into the sky. The darkness no longer seems to bother me as it did before; it reminds me of Lothlorien in a different way.

I look around for a minute, and then turn on my heel to catch up with the others. The sunlight hits us as soon as we step out of the forest and onto the plains once more. I take a deep breath of the fresh air and smile at the birds that soar in the breeze above us. I soon hear a pair of hoof beats around the corner as Aragorn tells Gandalf of our horses we left behind.

They trot up to us and quietly nicker. I look at the two and then at ourselves, surveying the numbers.

There are five people and two horses. How is this going to work out?

Gandalf suddenly whistles two notes in the air, the sound echoing in the plains. I quickly hear an answering neigh and see the most beautiful creature galloping upon the plains. His white coat glistens and shines under the sunlight as he makes his way toward Gandalf, who I assume is his master. However, the horses' looks makes me question who owns him. He looks too free to have a wizard, much less a man, control him.

"That is one of the Mearas…unless my eyes are cheated by some spell." I hear Legolas through my own thoughts. His voice is filled with awe, and I almost smirk in return. It seems odd that Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood, and an old elf too, would be staring in astonishment at a horse, no matter how great that horse may be.

"Shadowfax," Gandalf greets the horse with open arms and a small bow. "He is the lord of all horses and has been my friend through many dangers."

I smile as the wizard strokes the horse's neck with love. He then swiftly mounts Shadowfax and with a "Come, we have far to travel, and little time to ride there," we ride as swift as the birds in the sky.

We do not stop until the horses need to rest is dire. We set up a small camp on an out cropping in front of a small patch of woods. With nothing better to do, I start looking around. For the first time since Gandalf appeared, I take a good look at every body. I watch as Aragorn gets up to talk to Gandalf, who is standing at the edge, looking towards the plains. They talk in quiet voices as a light breeze comes from the south. I look over to see Gimli sound asleep and lightly snoring. I smile, happy that he is finally getting the rest that he's been wanting. A grumpy dwarf is not a pleasant dwarf. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Legolas standing by the edge of the forest; I can tell he is deep in thought. I decide to leave him alone, but part of me tells me to go towards him. For some reason, I follow my instinct and get up to make my way to him. As I near him, he snaps out of his blank gaze and turns to me. He smiles lightly at me as I look into the forest.

"Being in the woods makes you kind of homesick," I say as a statement, rather than a question. He nods.

"I have never really been away from home before, or really for a long period of time. I thought I was just going to Rivendell for the meeting, I had no idea that I would be a part of a fellowship." He says quietly.

I look over and see homesickness linger in his eyes. I could understand. Knowing that you had a family that you might not return to was certainly frightening. Though, it seemed odd that Legolas, an older elf, hadn't traveled away from home. In a way, it is comforting to me.

I had felt the same feeling when I first left Lorien. I had missed the golden leaves and the enchanting forest. I missed the way the woods glowed at night when the soft light around Lorien would light up, and how I longed to hear the melodic voices of the elves when singing the evening song. But the more time I spent away from the golden wood, the less my heart longed for it.

In a way, it scares me. I had hoped that returning to Lorien would make me feel different about the woods, but it only made it worse. For some reason, I knew that I would not return to the wood when Galadriel gave me the Celebmir.

The Celebmir had belonged to my great-great-grandmother, Estel. I do not know much about her except that she, like Galadriel, could look into the future. She had seen the dark lord, Sauron, rising to power again, and one of her decedents aiding in his final defeat. Everyone thought it would be my father; he was the warrior of Lorien. He taught all his skills to me, despite my gender as a female. He taught me to string my own bow and how to swing a sword. Everything was perfect until the attack, and Haldir took over his position as March warden. Everything changed after that.

"What about you?" I slightly jump as Legolas's question brings me out of my thoughts.

I am almost tempted to lie. If someone said they didn't miss the Golden Wood, to me would sound like they were taking Lothlorien for granted.

But this is Legolas. He has been a very good friend to me during this whole journey, and I would hate to ruin it or not be true. I decide to tell the truth, hoping he will not judge me too much.

"I do not know," I say after a moment. "I know it sounds strange, but Lorien just doesn't feel like home to me anymore." I turn away from him with shame creeping into my chest.

"The farther and longer I am away from it, the more I feel that I don't belong." I finish.

Legolas is quiet as I stare into the thick forest. A minute of silence passes between us before he speaks again. I almost drive myself crazy with frenzied thoughts. What is he thinking? Will he dislike me after this? _Why isn't he saying anything? Why is he looking into the distance like that? Did I say something wrong? Oh, why do I care? _

"Maybe when this is all over, your feelings will change about Lorien." He finally speaks. I turn to look at him and he sends me a reassuring smile my way. I smile back at him in return. His words are meant to bring comfort to me, but I find a twisting feeling start in my stomach instead.

Does he mean it?

I stare at his face, searching for any sign of hidden disgust. I don't know how long I am staring at him, but when I come to realize what I was doing, I turn away blushing. Blushing.

_What is wrong with me?_ I put my hand to my cheek in embarrassment and feel it burning against my skin through callused skin. That makes me even more embarrassed, so I mutter a sheepish, "Thank you" and walk away quickly.

I can almost feel Legolas staring through my back with curious eyes. _He's probably wondering if you are utterly mad._

I groan out loud. I should've had more control back there! Then, after hitting myself in the head in a very un-elf-like manner, I sit down on my mat, shaking my head and muttering to myself. I cross my legs and stare into the distance, trying to take my mind away and clear my face of the blush.

I look over and see Gandalf and Aragorn are lying on their mats, probably sleeping. I look up into the sky and see how late it is.

Suddenly, I feel a presence behind me. My hand inches towards my dagger slowly. How could I be so careless! I berated myself for letting my guard down while trying to get my dagger in an unnoticeable way. Then, I hear a chuckle. Confused, I whip out my dagger before standing straight up in a defensive stance, holding my dagger as if it were one of my old swords at home..

I come face to face with Legolas, who slightly jumps at my action before he begins to snicker behind his hand. I glare at him.

"I-I'll take the watch for ton-night," Legolas says between breaths.

"You had better take the first watch!" I punch him in the arm after sheathing my dagger. "Do you not have any sense? You nearly scared me half to death!"

I shoot another glare at him, but it is purely playful.

He smirks one last time before walking away.

Before I fall asleep, I take one last glance at Legolas. He stands in front of the camp with an arrow notched on his bow. I then close my eyes and have a very peaceful sleep.

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**A/N 28 reviews guys! Thanks so much! It would be awsome if we could get them up to 30... hint hint**


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